


The Second Assistant

by soul_writerr



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assistant!Sonny, Developing Relationship, Editor in Chief!Rafael, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Except Not Really Enemies, Fluff, Humor, Idiots in Love, Inspired by The Devil Wears Prada, M/M, Sappy, devil wears prada au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-19 19:00:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 35,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16540316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_writerr/pseuds/soul_writerr
Summary: Sonny is an idealistic, driven journalist who can't find a job. When he starts as Runway's Editor in Chief Rafael Barba's assistant, his life turns into a nightmare. Until it doesn't. And he gets better clothes out of it.Devil Wears Prada AU.





	1. Fashion Mistakes

**Author's Note:**

> I've loved Devil Wears Prada since I was a child and I just couldn't help but write this. However, this is not a play-by-play of the movie. There are many similarities, of course, but these are still Sonny and Rafael how we know and love, with just a few added traits. I couldn't make Rafael as cruel as Miranda, and I couldn't stand Sonny being as arrogant as Andrea. So here we are. 
> 
> English is not my first language. But enjoy!

Sonny had always been an optimist. And he also had a lot of dreams. When he graduated at the top of his journalism class, he thought the world was his. He had great ideas, an unending drive, and an overwhelming passion to do what was right. As every other journalist, Sonny also had a little bit of a hero’s complex. 

But he soon realized that the road to making his dreams come true was hard to walk on.

Sonny had a great portfolio and good pitches, he had made some exemplary volunteer work, but getting a call back in New York seemed impossible. Well, for Sonny at least. His girlfriend Arielle had gotten a position at the New York Globe almost fresh out of school, and Sonny was happy for her, but it made him feel inadequate.

So when he got a call back from Elias-Clarke Publications, he prayed a little harder. He really needed this break.

Sure, he had never read the magazine he was actually interviewing for, but he knew it was very well respected in the fashion industry and, if he got the job there, Sonny knew a lot of doors would open up for him. The opportunities for networking were endless, not to mention the traveling. So what if the job was as an assistant and not a reporter? If he worked hard, he’d get the recognition he deserved. 

Sonny counted down the days up to the interview and, when the morning came, he had a good breakfast, and selected an outfit that wasn’t stained for a change. He didn’t want to think about it too much, he wasn’t into fashion anyway, so there was no point in trying to be someone he was not just for an interview. They’d hire him if they liked him, not his clothes, right?

“Good luck on your assistant job interview, babe,” Arielle teased as she kissed him on the cheek before leaving.

“Yeah, thanks,” he sighed and dropped the piece of toast he was eating back on his plate. 

While trying to find some confidence within himself, Sonny grabbed his briefcase that held all the news articles he had worked on, checked that everything was in its place and made his way out of the apartment with some time to spare. His father always told him that being late was unbecoming.

He wasn’t sure what to expect from Runway. He knew the stereotypes about people in fashion, but it was still journalism. Would they be like his folks from his college newspaper, but better dressed? Would they be as hardworking as his coworkers at the Staten Island Journal? He hoped so. Because even though it was a secretary job, Sonny would love to make friends with the reporters and editors.  

When he got to the building, he was intimidated by how luxurious it all was. The lobby looked like something out of a high budget movie, with big, tall chandeliers, marble floor and wood paneling. There were so many security guards, Sonny felt like he was about to be kick out at any moment considering he clearly didn’t fit in. 

They had his name on a list, though. They said he was cleared to go up to the Runway floor, so he did. But everything got so much worse when the elevator doors opened. 

He could see beautiful women and men going around looking like they stepped right out of a magazine, their outfits on point and their hairs styled to perfection, much like he expected. But they all looked like they were walking on clouds, their chins ups, a blazé expression on their faces. Nobody seemed to pay Sonny any mind, so he approached the reception desk with tentative steps. 

“Hi,” he greeted the lady behind the desk. “My name is Dominick Carisi, Jr. I’m here for the assistant interview. I believe Carmen is expecting me.”

The woman didn’t look at him once, but she picked up the phone and called Carmen anyway. “She’ll be with you in a minute,” she said after disconnecting the call.

The more he waited, the more Sonny felt out of place. He could feel his cheeks heating up by the second, and at the end of the day he was sure he’d have a permanent tomato look on his face. 

But he gripped his briefcase tighter, smoothed the lines on his sweater, straightened his collar and stood tall. This was a great chance for him to experience something different, and Sonny could dial up the charm at any time if needed. 

“Dominick?,” a voice called. Sonny turned to be greeted by a beautiful, tall, lean woman. She was dressed impeccably, and Sonny could pinpoint the exact moment she took in what he was wearing himself. Her smiled dropped instantly, and she brought a hand to her hip, looking impatient. “Either HR has a sense of humor, or you really don’t want this job.”

“What?,” he swallowed dryly.

She sighed dramatically. “Follow me.”

After hesitating for half a second, he did. 

“I’m Carmen, Rafael Barba’s first assistant,” she said as she guided him through the newsroom. Sonny felt his heart flutter in his chest. He hadn’t been in one in  _ so _ long. “So the position as his second assistant is open. Are you sure you’re up for the job?”

“I may not look it,” he joked, but he only got a side-eye as a response. “But I really am interested in the position. Runway is such a big deal, and I’d love to learn a little more about fashion.”

“A little more?,” Carmen snorted. 

“Carmen!,” someone shouted from the end of the room. “He’s coming!”

“What?,” she squealed, grabbed Sonny’s arm and dragged him further down the hall. “Shit, shit, shit. He’s early.”

“Who?,” Sonny asked as they walked through glass doors and entered what seemed to be the main office. There were two long desks in either side of the room, just outside the double doors that led to a huge room. Probably the editor in chief’s office. 

“Stay put,” Carmen told him as she ran into the big room. 

Looking through the glass doors, he could see other people running around. Some of them on the phone, others carrying piles of paper, others with huge stacks of clothing. It looked incredibly hectic and, honestly, the only times he saw a newsroom like that was when something really important happened. Historically speaking.

“Don’t say anything, pretend like you’re not even here,” Carmen instructed as she ran out of the bigger room back to what Sonny assumed was her desk. “I hope he doesn’t see you, but I doubt anyone could ignore… that.”

“Uh, rude,” Sonny frowned. “But who are you talking about?”

Carmen looked at him with a horrified expression but, before she could reply, the doors opened and in walked the most handsome, most dapper, most well dressed man Sonny had ever seen. He was wearing a navy three piece suit, vest and all, and a bright lavender tie with a matching pocket square. His eyes were a beautiful shade of green and, when he looked at Sonny, he thought he was going to die under the scorching gaze. 

The man kept a neutral expression as he looked him up and down, but then proceeded to drop his briefcase and coat on Carmen’s desk. “Why is it so difficult for people to confirm their appointments?”

“Rafael, I’m so sorry, I did. I called her three times just to -.”

“Tales of people’s incompetence do not interest me,” he cut in. Sonny’s jaw dropped. “Tell Simone I won’t approve of that girl she sent for the Brazilian layout. Then ask her if she fell and hit her head because the girl was the exact opposite of what I told her I needed. RSVP yes to the Tom Ford party. I want the driver to drop me off at 9:30 and pick me up a 9:45 sharp. Call Natalie and tell her no for the 40th time. Then I need you to call my mother and reschedule our dinner. Tell her she can choose where and when, but make sure the when is not on the weekend. And I need to see everything Olivia has pulled for Beyoncé’s second cover try before she gets pregnant again. What is that?,” Rafael asked, tilting his head at Sonny.

Sonny blinked rapidly at Rafael’s quick demands.

“Oh, he’s nobody,” Carmen waved a hand. “HR sent him for the job interview, but I think it was a mistake, so I’ll get rid of him.”

Sonny wanted to protest. He was standing _ right there _ , and when HR called him, they didn’t tell him he was coming to be insulted left and right. 

“Well, the last two girls they sent were a complete disaster so I’ll interview this one myself,” he sighed, extremely annoyed, then looked at Sonny. “Follow me.”

Sonny swallowed hard and looked at Carmen with a pleading expression, but she only shooed him into the office. Sonny’s hands were shaking, so he tightened his grip around the handle of his briefcase and walked in. 

The office was a big open space with floor to ceiling windows that gave away the beautiful Manhattan skyline. The decoration was very minimalistic and Sonny was surprised to see how neat it was. His last editor’s office was a complete disaster, with piles of books and paper everywhere, along with old dirty cups of coffee and dried out pens.

Prompted by the sound of Rafael clearing his throat as he sat on his chair, Sonny opened his case and took out a copy of his resumé, placing it with a flourish on the desk in front of him. 

“My name is Dominick Carisi, Jr., but please, call me Sonny,” he smiled. “I’m very interested in this position, sir. I think it would be a great opportunity for me to grow,” Sonny reached inside his briefcase again to pull out a few of his published articles. “Here, I have -.”

“Do you read Runway?,” Rafael asked after quickly checking his resumé. 

Sonny hung his head. Well, there goes his chance. “No.”

“And before today, you had never heard of me,” Rafael pointed out, his tone neutral. 

“No,” he said as he felt the heat start creeping up his chest and neck. “But I’m -.”

“And you have no sense of fashion,” he continued, as if Sonny hadn’t said anything. 

“Well, I think that’s relative -,” Sonny started, looking down on himself. Those were his good clothes. 

“No, no,” Rafael interrupted, leaning back on his chair with an amused look. “That wasn’t a question.”

Sonny was stunned, but he shook his head and continued. “Well, I was the editor of the culture section at the Daily Staten Island Journal for four years and I won a national competition for college students on my -”

“That’s all,” Rafael dismissed him and picked up the paper sitting in front of him.

Sonny almost left. He almost made a snide remark and turned on his heels. But of all things, Sonny wasn’t a quitter and he wasn’t a coward, so he took a step forward, squared up his shoulders, lifted his chin and said, “You’re right. I don’t fit in here. I’m not a model, I don’t know anything about fashion, my clothes couldn’t be any cheaper, but I’m smart. And I’m passionate. I’m a very hard worker, I learn fast, and I’m a professional through and through. I can guarantee you I will not disappoint you. Just give me a chance.”

Rafael seemed to be considering his words for a while. He locked eyes with Sonny and didn’t blink for what seemed like forever. And the longer he stared, the more Sonny felt like maybe he got the job. So Sonny made sure to dial up the charm. He put on his soft, almost shy smile that made his dimples show up, and held his head at an angle that made his eyes look a little bigger. 

As a reporter, he learned to use his features to his advantage. Sometimes if a source was having a hard time loosening their tongue, he’d flash his blue eyes and dimples at them and he could literally see their body language softening. Being your typical boy next door had its perks, and Sonny made sure to use them.

Rafael’s expression was still neutral if not by the hand on his chin and the slightly narrowed eyes. Sonny knew Rafael was reading him, and he hoped he was able to show just how actually interested he was. 

Sonny was about to take a step closer and show Rafael some of his clippings when the moment was broken by a tall, brunette woman walking into the room in quick strides. 

“I’ve got the exclusive Dior for Beyoncé. But the problem is the hairpiece they sent to go with it,” she started, not sparing Sonny a glance, dropping pictures on Rafael’s desk. “It looks like something out of a distasteful Disney movie.” 

“Uhm,” Rafael agreed, turning towards the woman.

“Thank you for your time,” Sonny said and, with a defeated wave, turned to leave.

“Carmen,” he heard Rafael call. “Show Dominick to his desk.”

Sonny turned back to look at him, his eyes wide. “Seriously?”

“You start right now,” Rafael told him, held his gaze for one more second, then turned his attention back to the brunette woman again. 

“Come on,” Carmen stage-whispered just from outside the door. “Okay, listen, we have no time to waste. First things first, you need to become acquainted with Runway,” she said, pointing at a pile of six editions of the magazine she collected and placed at his desk. “Take these home and read them tonight.”

“Who needs sleep, right?,” he joked. Carmen only side-eyed him again. 

“The woman you just saw walk into the office is Olivia Benson, she’s the creative director. She’s basically Rafael’s right arm, they work closely together for every edition. But still, Rafael calls the shots,” she explained quickly, then looked at him suspiciously. “You had really never heard of him before?”

“Uh, no,” Sonny scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “But I gathered he’s the boss around here.”

“He’s the editor in chief of Runway, for one,” Carmen said proudly. “Not to mention a legend. And you’ll soon realize he’s very particular and methodic about his work, which is why you always have to be ready. If anything goes even a little bit wrong, we get set back in weeks, and that costs the magazine hundreds of dollars.” 

Carmen walked around her desk and pointed at the phone. “This has to be answered every single time it rings. If I’m not on my desk, you cannot leave, no matter what. When calls go to voicemail Rafael gets very irritated.” 

“What if I need to go to the bathroom?”

Carmen closed in on him so fast he almost tripped back. “One time, a girl left her desk to go to the bathroom and Rafael missed a call with Marc Jacobs before he got on a 17-hour flight. That girl now works at McDonald’s.”

“Okay, got it,” Sonny nodded urgently. “Never leave the desk.”

“Rafael is great to work with. Once you get the hang of it, he’s actually incredibly manageable. But a lot of pressure goes with his job, so he’s often on edge because things just have to go smoothly,” Carmen said with a sympathetic tone. “You’ll learn a lot from him.”

“I sure hope so,” Sonny said enthusiastically.

Carmen smiled softly. “Our jobs are very different. You get the coffee and run errands, I’m in charge of his schedule, appointments and expenses.” 

“Sounds important.”

“I hope you’re planning on taking this seriously, Dominick,” she said, a challenge in her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Of course!,” Sonny was nothing if not a professional. 

But what he did not expect was to be woken up at 5:30am by Carmen spewing about this or that piece that had been pushed up or pulled back, telling him to come to the office immediately with Rafael’s coffee orders in hand. 

Sonny had stayed up late reading the Runway editions Carmen pushed on him, and it was surprisingly interesting. Sonny had the idea that a fashion magazine would be probably lacking on the social side of things, but he was wrong. Just as there was a top 5 of winter accessories, there was a large spread about immigrants breaking through the New York fashion industry. 

Arielle wasn’t impressed by his interest, but was happy he finally got a paying job.

So, between his very little sleep and Carmen calling every half an hour, it wasn’t his fault that he accidentally picked up his worst sweater and jeans out of the dryer as he ran around the apartment gathering his things to leave. The sweater wasn’t new, and it was an odd shade of green. The jeans were even older, but he would rarely wear it, so it looked somewhat decent.

When he finally got to Runway, Carmen was fuming. Rafael had asked about his coffee twice, even though his office was bursting with people running in and out. Apparently they had a fitting. 

“Where have you been?,” Carmen practically growled. “You’re late. And what the hell are you wearing?,” she gave him a confused look, but didn’t wait for his reply. “You have to stay here and man the desk. I’m going to the art department to give them the book.”

“The book?,” Sonny asked curiously, dropping Rafael’s coffee at Carmen’s desk before making his way to his. 

Carmen sighed, picked up a thick book and opened it in front of him. “This is the book. It’s a mockup of everything in the current issue. We deliver it to Rafael’s apartment every night and he returns it in the morning with all his notes.”

Carmen flickered through a few pages of the book and Sonny was fascinated. It looked like a raw, exclusive version of the finished product, with pictures amateurly glued to the pages and drafts of articles placed on almost empty pages. He could see post-its everywhere with instructions of how to fill the pages, layouts, colors, what should be redone, and what was approved. 

“The second assistant is supposed to be in charge of waiting for the book,” Carmen snapped it shut and took it back, hugging the book close to her chest. “But I’m doing it until Rafael is certain you’re not absolutely insane and knows that he can trust you. He’s very reserved about his home.”

Sonny gulped. 

“Now, stay put,” Carmen ordered as she picked up Rafael’s coffee and placed it on his desk before leaving with the book. 

And much for Sonny’s dismay, as soon as the door closed behind Carmen, the phone started ringing. He looked around quickly, hoping that maybe Carmen was coming back to pick it up. But she wasn’t, so Sonny took a deep breath and answered the phone.

“Hello, Mr. Barba’s office,” he greeted, making sure he sounded inviting. 

“Mr. Barba?,” the person on the other side of the line laughed. “Is that his new greeting? I’d think Rafael would despise being greeted in any way that would give away his seniority.”

“Uh,” Sonny blinked. “I mean. Rafael Barba’s office.”

“Better,” the woman teased. “This is Rita Calhoun. Is Rafael available?”

“He’s in a meeting,” he said and reached for a small notepad. “Can I take a message?”

“Yeah, tell him Dolce & Gabbana’s new pieces are ready for him to see then have Carmen call me so I can schedule it.”

“Of course. Could you please spell ‘Gabbana’?,” he asked and then heard Rita laughing maniacally. 

“Oh kid, you’re in for a treat,” she said and hung up.

Sonny threw his head back as he heard the dial tone, sighing dramatically. This definitely wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be. 

* * *

He was on his third day working for Rafael when Olivia approached his desk holding a shoe box with a sympathetic smile. She dropped it on Sonny’s desk and waited patiently for him to open it. It was a simple but elegant pair of black suede oxfords. The box had the Dior logo on it. Sonny snorted and pushed it away from him.

“I don’t need these,” he said confidently. Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. “I mean, thank you. But Rafael hired me. He knows what I look like.”

Olivia smiled again. “Do  _ you _ ?” 

“Well, I’m not looking to change myself just to sit behind this desk,” Sonny shrugged. He knew the job was a great opportunity, but he was getting pretty tired of just sitting around if not for the random coffee run. And he definitely did not need expensive shoes to do that. “And I’m sure these are very expensive.” 

“I don’t need them,” Olivia pushed the box towards Sonny again, a challenge in her eyes. 

“Okay,” Sonny closed the lid and dropped the box by his feet. “Thanks.”

“Dominick,” Rafael called from his office. 

Sonny jumped up in a flash, gathering his notepad and a pen and walking around his desk and into the office in quick strides. He had learned quickly that Rafael did not like to be kept waiting, so the faster Sonny walked into his office, the less bite there was to his demands. Thankfully, Sonny had long legs.

“Please, call me Sonny,” was the first thing out of his mouth when Rafael turned to him. Sonny wished the ground would swallow him whole. “I mean, everybody does,” he tried to justify it with a lame shrug. 

Rafael narrowed his eyes slightly. “I need 15 skirts from Calvin Klein.”

“Right,” Sonny jotted the name on his pad. “What kind of skirts?”

Rafael’s reply was a roll of his eyes. “And make sure we have Pier 59 at 8am tomorrow. Remind Olivia I need her feedback on the satchels Marc is doing in the pony. Did Demarchelier confirm?”

Sonny’s hand wasn’t fast enough to keep up with Rafael’s train of thought. At the question, he looked up. Dema-who? “Demarch-?”

“Demarchelier,” Rafael repeated, annoyed. “Get him on the phone.”

“Oh,” Sonny blinked. “Okay.”

“And Dominick,” Rafael took one step closer to him.

Ever so, so slowly, Rafael ran his eyes from Sonny’s beat-up shoes up to his messy hair, squinting slightly, a contained expression on his face. Sonny had never felt so small, his cheeks burning and his hands sweating. Rafael’s gaze was unforgiving, and it told him everything he was doing wrong. 

When their eyes locked again, Rafael pressed his lips into a thin line. “That’s all.”

Sonny almost ran out of the room. He was grateful to see Carmen was back at her desk. 

“He,” Sonny shook himself. “He needs to talk to Demarchelier.”

As Carmen made the call, Sonny ran back to his desk and grabbed the oxfords Olivia had brought him, putting them on without thinking about it too much. 

“I’ve got Patrick!,” Carmen announced, loud enough for Rafael to hear.

“Who is he?,” Sonny asked, standing up and testing his new shoes. They were surprisingly comfortable. 

“He’s Runway’s go-to photographer,” she said. “Most of our covers are by him.”

“Right,” Sonny nodded and made a mental note to look up some of his work. “He also asked me about Pier 59, and Olivia, a guy named Marc and pony satchels, and he needs skirts from Calvin Klein.”

“What kind of skirts?,” Carmen asked, typing something quickly on her computer.

“He didn’t say. I tried to ask, but -,” he stopped at the sharp look Carmen threw him.

“Don’t ask him anything,” she said in a grave tone. “It’s a waste of time. I will deal with everything, and you have to go to Calvin Klein.”

Turns out Calvin Klein was a very expensive designer-brand that actually had a lot of skirts. Much like Sonny imagined, the store clerk did not look happy when he said he did not know what kind of skirts Rafael needed. And of course, just as he seemed to have put together a good selection of various skirts, hoping a least a couple of them were the type Rafael actually wanted, Carmen called.

“Don’t come back yet,” she said. “You need to go to Hermés and pick up 25 scarves Rafael ordered. Then stop at Starbucks and get his regular order. Extra hot,” and hung up.

“Not easy being Rafael’s errand boy, is it?,” the clerk asked with an amused smile. 

“Well, there’s a reason he’s the boss, right?,” Sonny shrugged and picked up the skirts, throwing half the bags over his shoulder. “Thanks. Have a nice day!”

When he got back to Elias-Clarke, Sonny was drowning in bags of clothing and coffee, but he was happy he accomplished everything in a timely manner and got back to the office before Rafael. He even had the time to stop by his favorite Italian bakery to get something different for him. Yeah, he  _ was _ trying to win points with Rafael. Carmen, however, was not happy.

“Oh my god,” she squealed. “Where have you been? I have to pee!”

“What? You haven’t been to the bathroom this whole time?,” he asked, sounded horrified. “I’ve been gone for hours!”

“I can’t leave the desk, can I?!,” Carmen bit back. “I’m going on my lunch break, you can go after me.”

Sonny watched, amused, as Carmen all but ran out of the office. He placed the skirts next to the clothes rack by the door, and left the box of scarves on the floor by Carmen’s desk. However, he waited for Rafael to get back before giving him his coffee. He had a surprise, and he prayed to God it wouldn’t backfire.

He had never had an actual conversation with Rafael, of course, but he heard a lot of things. He knew his boss was from the Bronx, born from Cuban parents, and that he graduated from Harvard at the top of his class. He heard he had made quite the investigative journalist back on his New York Times days, and went from there to a reporter on Runway, where he stayed until he made Editor in Chief. 

Sonny did a little research and found that Rafael had an impressive track record and was extremely well respected. He found it very admirable. It was impressive to see just how much of himself he gave to Runway. He put in the same passion Sonny dedicated to the article he wrote about the situation at homeless shelters in the winter.

Sonny also heard the gossip about all his past lovers and their complaints about how Rafael actually only loved himself and the magazine. 

Well, if Sonny was being honest, if he was half as brilliant as Rafael Barba seemed to be, he’d be in love with himself as well. 

When the glass doors opened and Rafael strutted in looking as striking as ever in his suit, Sonny gave him a big smile. 

“Good afternoon, Rafael,” he said and reached out for his coat and briefcase. “I hope your lunch was pleasant.”

“Lunch with Rita hardly ever is,” Rafael said with a boring tone as he took off his sunglasses, dropping them on top of Sonny's desk. Sonny picked them up carefully and gently placed them on his drawer. It looked very expensive, much like everything Rafael ever wore.

As Rafael walked into his office, Sonny hung his coat and put his case away before grabbing the coffee cup and the box of dessert he had picked up. He took a deep breath, and followed him with confident steps.

“Hey, I know you have a particular coffee order, but I have a surprise for you,” Sonny placed the coffee cup in front of Rafael. He suddenly looked pissed. 

“Did you fall on your head?,” Rafael asked, exasperated. “What gave you the idea to change my coffee order?”

“If you hate it, I invite you to throw it on me,” Sonny said with a nonchalant shrug. Rafael was clearly surprised by his reply and looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. Sonny bit back a grin.

Slowly, Rafael took a sip of his drink. Sonny saw the exact moment he forced himself to keep his expression neutral as he swallowed. He saw the surprised expression before it disappeared. He counted that as a win.

“This is Cuban coffee,” he said, sounding a little incredulous. 

“Yeah, I thought you might like it,” Sonny shot him a charming smile and placed the box of desserts on his desk next. “I also got these.”

Rafael took another sip of the coffee and opened the box. His eyebrows shot up, and he looked at Sonny with a displeased expression. “Paris Fashion Week is in four months, I can’t eat this.”

“Ah come on, Rafael. I know you like your snacks,” Sonny wiggled his eyebrows. “Please? I’ll ask your trainer to add in a few extra minutes on the treadmill.”

Rafael sighed and reached for a cannoli. “Okay, but you’re not watching me eat. Get out.”

“Enjoy!,” Sonny sing-songed as he turned to leave with a triumphant smile.

Yeah, it was definitely a win.

* * *

And maybe winning was the problem because it made Sonny feel confident. And when you felt too confident in a place that’s far from your comfort zone, the chances of everything going downhill multiplied.

When Olivia gave his lunch and his sweater a disappointed look, he thought nothing of it. It wasn’t important. Rafael liked him anyway. They were in a good place, so why did he need to change the way he dressed? 

Well, it started going downhill when he spilled corn chowder on said sweater and Olivia made a fake noise of sympathy. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you can find more where that came from.”

Sonny rolled his eyes and reached for some napkins. “Haha I get it, my clothes are ugly.”

“It’s not even about your clothes. It’s about your attitude,” Olivia replied without missing a beat.

Sonny was taken aback. “Excuse me?”

Before Olivia could elaborate, her phone went off with a text and she looked at him with an alarmed expression after reading it. “Rafael just pulled the run-through half an hour and he’s always 15 minutes early, which means you’re already late,” she said in one breath and turned to leave.

Sonny’s eyes widened. He dropped his tray on the counter and hurried after her.

All the editors were in Rafael’s office when they arrived, and he looked extremely stressed out. He saw the woman he knew was the head of the fashion department going around the room, pulling clothes off the racks, trying to argue in their favor, but Rafael only shook his head and let out long breaths.

“Why is no one ready?,” Rafael asked, his voice strained. “You had hours and hours to prepare. I’ve seen all these before. Where are the new pieces?”

“We have some new dresses from Banana Republic here,” the woman said, pointing at a rack in the back. 

“Well, we need more, don’t we?,” Rafael grunted, going through the clothes fast until he pulled out a puffy looking dress. Sonny frowned. “Do you think this works?,” he asked Olivia.

“You know me, give me salon and I’m in,” she smiled. “And I know what you’re thinking. The Dior from June.”

“Exactly,” Rafael looped the dress around the model’s head and examined it for a moment.

“Not with the right accessories,” Olivia said. “We need a belt.”

One of the editors’ assistant seemed to produce two belts out of thin air. She held them up for Rafael and frowned. “Tough call. They’re so different.”

Sonny snorted despite himself. The belts looked insanely similar, and the drama in the girl’s voice was completely unnecessary. But everyone turned to look at him, and Rafael looked very offended. Sonny gulped.

“Something funny?,” he asked dryly.

“I’m sorry,” Sonny stuttered. “It’s just that those belts look exactly the same to me. But you know, I’m new to this. I’m still learning about this stuff.”

By the look on Olivia’s face, that was the wrong thing to say. Sonny unconsciously squared up for the beatdown.

“This  _ stuff _ ?,” Rafael spat back. “Oh, okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select that faded green sweater because you’re trying to tell the world you take yourself too seriously to care about what you wear.”

Sonny blinked. Well, Rafael was right. But there wasn’t everything there was to it. And Sonny opened his mouth to say so, but his boss wasn’t done. 

Rafael shook his head slowly and picked one of the belts the girl was holding up. “What you don’t know is that your sweater is not green, it’s chartreuse,” he pointed out with a glint in his eyes. “And you’re blindly unaware of the fact that in 2014, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of chartreuse gowns, and then Yves Saint Laurent showed chartreuse military jackets. Suddenly, that color made its way into eight different designers. Naturally, it filtered down to the department stores where you found that in some clearance bin.”

Olivia had walked to all the way across the room, where she sat down with a defeated sigh. Looking behind him, he saw Carmen standing by the door with a sympathetic expression, but he knew she wasn’t going to come in to save him. So he waited for Rafael to be done lecturing him.

“You pride yourself in thinking you’re so socially aware but you’re incapable of taking your head out of your ass for long enough to realize that what you’re wearing was chosen for you, by the people standing in this room,” he took a step back from the model. “We need a jacket here,” Rafael said and turned back to Sonny with a predator look on his face. “But on its way to you, that sweater produced millions of dollars, gave people’s jobs, and paid for their living. From the designer to the store clerk in Staten Island. You’re just one little piece in a well-oiled machine. So don’t go around acting all high and mighty. You’re not better than us.” 

The room was completely silent. Rafael gave him a long look, then turned away from him, analyzing the final product on the model. He started giving the other people in the room other pointers, making new demands, but Sonny couldn’t hear it. His ears were buzzing and his heart was pounding. 

Without thinking about it, he turned around and left the room. He heard Carmen calling his name, but he didn’t stop. Sonny rushed out of the building without even noticing, and he stopped on the sidewalk to take a deep breath. 

The embarrassment was almost too much for him to bear. Sonny was an award-winning journalist, he had worked under stressful situations before, but he had never felt so out of place. He had never felt like he knew  _ so little  _ about the world. He had never been called out like that.

Maybe he had been living in a bubble where none of this had ever mattered. And although he knew this was temporary, he clearly still had a lot of bridges to cross. It was his first week, but he still wanted to learn, even if it took having to endure Rafael’s cutting words in the process. 

He knew he moved from Staten Island to New York City for a reason. Before he left, his mother told him how hard it was to make it there, that he shouldn’t leave his job. But he  _ was  _ going to make it, and at Runway he could climb fast. 

So he looked up at the sky, asked for strength and walked back into the building with his blood boiling.


	2. A Makeover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If a makeover is what it takes for Sonny to get some appreciation at Runway, so be it. But he did not expect to like the clothes so much. And also he did not expect to become addicted to Rafael's reaction to his new wardrobe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the lovely comments on the first chapter! I'm glad you like reading this as much as I love writing it.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this one!

About a month in, Sonny realized all it took was watching Rafael. His crazy requests weren’t actually that crazy at all if Sonny was paying close attention. Once, Carmen’s head came close to exploding when Rafael asked her “Where is that piece of paper I had in my hand yesterday?”

Sonny had seen it just before Rafael left for lunch. He had used the little paper Olivia had given him with some dates and names to mark the page of the magazine he was reading. So Sonny promptly found it. Carmen bought him a chocolate truffle for that.

When Rafael asked him to “get a reservation in that place that got the good review”, Sonny knew which one it was because he heard Rafael tell Rita Calhoun about it the week before. 

He only had to suck it up for one more year. And although it was tiring and not that rewarding, Sonny enjoyed watching Rafael. He was a fascinating man with a fascinating brain and an even better wardrobe. He particularly liked listening in his meetings with Olivia. The two had a great rapport, and Olivia seemed to be the only one capable of clapping back at him. 

One slow afternoon, Rafael called him into his office. After he got over the extensive lesson on fashion and on his apparent ‘good and mighty’ disposition, hearing his boss call him and not Carmen had started giving him a sort of exciting thrill instead of a scare. 

“Yes, Rafael?,” he stepped into the office, pen at the ready. Sonny had become better at taking notes. It was all in the power of keywords.

“I’d like some coffee,” Rafael said. “But not my regular order.”

Sonny tried to hold back his grin. “Oh. The Cuban was good, then. Would you like some dessert to go with it?”

“No, I can’t risk it at this stage. I’m at my final fittings for Paris.”

“If you’re sure,” Sonny nodded. “But for what is worth, you shouldn’t worry. You look amazing.”

Rafael looked up. He tilted his head slightly, as if taking in Sonny’s comment for a moment. “Thanks. That’s all.”

Sonny winked before Rafael looked away again, and he smiled proudly when he saw his boss’ eyes widen the slightest bit. 

From then, it kind of became a  _ thing _ . Every afternoon, Sonny would bring him Cuban coffee, offer him some sort of compliment, then leave. He soon realized that Rafael had come to expect that, as if it was part of his routine. It wasn’t difficult at all to find something to compliment Rafael on, but Sonny couldn’t just say “your eyes look beautiful in this light”, so some days it was more of a challenge than others.

“Hey, Rafael. Nice tie! It makes you look more tan,” Sonny would say as he handed him his coffee. 

“Did you get a haircut?,” he had asked, and Rafael’s reply was a short nod. “You look good.”

“Honestly, I swear you’re the only person who could ever pull off that suit,” Sonny said sheepishly. “Here’s your coffee.”

“Your trainer is really pushing you, uh? It shows! Maybe I could bring some cannoli tomorrow,” he joked and Rafael shot him a warning look. Sonny laughed and set the coffee on his desk.

He liked watching the way Rafael reacted to his comments. Sometimes he smiled and thanked him, sometimes he rolled his eyes playfully and told him to get out of his office. It was comfortable, it was playful, and it made Sonny feel like they were actually getting along.

Until one friday evening, when it all went downhill _again_. 

Rafael was in Miami, so he basically had the weekend off. Sonny and Arielle had made plans to go out to dinner on friday night. Between their crazy schedules, they had barely seen each other and Sonny felt guilty. So he used the very little connections he had acquired working for Rafael to score a reservation in a very nice restaurant. 

“This place is so nice,” Arielle said excitedly, looking around with wide eyes. 

“Yeah, I guess you can’t say anything bad about my job tonight, right?,” Sonny teased. Arielle enjoyed making jabs about him being Rafael’s errand boy, but it clearly payed off.

“I guess it is good for something,” she laughed. “Don’t you miss writing?

“I do, very much so,” Sonny said as he took a sip of a very expensive wine they ordered. “But it’s fine. It’s a small price to pay for what’s to come. Besides, working for Runway does have its satisfying moments.”

“What could be so satisfying about being an asshole’s assistant?,” Arielle asked with a roll of her eyes.

“He’s not that bad,” he waved a hand. “When everything works out at the end of the day, when I open up a magazine and I see how great the shoot Rafael was stressing about turned out, it’s really comforting. When I see the scarf I picked up from the Burberry store on the top 10 list,” Sonny laughed. “I feel like I know fashion.”

“Wow,” Arielle shook her head. “Years of journalism for a scarf. That’s inspiring.”

“Hey, it’s the little things,” he shrugged. “And you know, it’s a multi-billion-dollar industry. It’s interesting to see it from the inside.”

“I don’t know, it just seems futile to me.”

Sonny didn’t blame her, but he knew better now. And he knew just what to say to make her see that it wasn’t all just scarves and belts. But his phone rang loudly and interrupted him. It was Rafael.

“I’m sorry, I have to take this,” he looked at Arielle apologetically. “It’ll be just a second.”

“Sonny, we’re on a date. I thought you said he was away this weekend.”

“He is. Which is why this is probably an emergency, so just give me a second,” he held up a finger before she could protest any further and picked up the call. “Hello, Rafael?”

“My flight has been cancelled,” Rafael all but yelled. “Some nonsense about the weather. I need to get back to New York tonight. My mother is getting an award at City Hall tomorrow and I have to be there.”

“Uh, okay,” he nodded dumbly. “I’ll see what I can do.

“Good,” Rafael replied and hung up.

How the hell was Sonny supposed to get Rafael out of Miami? 

He turned to Arielle, who was fuming. “I’ll step outside just for one second to take care of this. You can go ahead and order, I’ll be right back.”

Well, Sonny wasn’t right back. He stood outside for almost one hour, making calls to every single person he knew had a jet. All of Rafael’s friends, and friends of his friends. Designers and models. He took so long he didn’t even notice when Arielle left the restaurant, hailed a cab and went home. 

That night, Sonny didn’t sleep. He and Arielle had an explosive fight when he got back to the apartment and she told him to sleep on the couch, but he couldn’t. Because he failed Rafael. He couldn’t get him out of Miami. There was a hurricane coming and nobody was flying out. 

Rafael missed his mother’s award cerimony and, when monday came, Sonny had come to terms with the fact that he was fired for good. All his hard work, gone to waste, because Rafael was insane and there was a storm in Miami. 

Carmen jumped up as soon as he walked in. She looked extremely worried. “What did you do?,” she asked in a hush. “He’s so,  _ so _ pissed.”

“Carmen, I tried,” he replied in a whisper. “I really, really did.”

“Dominick,” Rafael called before Carmen could reply. She pushed Sonny into Rafael’s office and ran back to her desk.

“Rafael, I’m so sorry,” he said, hanging his head. “I know how much your mother’s award ceremony meant to you. I called everybody, I really tried to get you out of there. I’m so sorry.”

Rafael was standing by the window, looking up to the Manhattan sky. He didn’t turn to Sonny as he said, “I have a very complicated relationship with my mother, and when she’s upset with me, she doesn’t let me hear the end of it. So imagine our conversation this morning.”

“Again, I’m really sorry.”

“All night, my mother had to make excuses for my absence,” he continued. “She said everyone made the night about me. The workaholic son who couldn’t come home to celebrate his own mother. I can’t even imagine what she’s going to tell the papers.”

Rafael sighed deeply and massaged his temples. The whole thing seemed much more dramatic than it needed to be, but then again, Rafael didn’t do anything that wasn’t extra dramatic.

“I know I took a huge risk when I hired you,” Rafael turned to Sonny, taking a step away from the windows. “But I told myself to just go ahead and hire the lanky guy with an abnormal hero complex and impressive resumé. And now you’ve disappointed me more than all the girls who came before you.”

“Rafael, that’s not fair,” he shook his head, frowning. “I tried my best, I called everybody. I missed dinner with my girlfriend, we had a huge fight because -.”

“I don’t have time for this,” Rafael raised his hand to interrupt him. “Please. Leave.”

Sonny’s instinct was telling him to stand his ground, to defend himself, but he had nothing else to say. So he turned and left, not sparing Carmen another glance as he, once again, bolted out of the room.

Their dynamics were really getting out of hand.

Sonny considered leaving the building again, but thought better of it when he saw Olivia alone in the art department. She was bent over a table, going through the minituare of a few pictures. She didn’t look up when he walked in.

“I actually don’t think he likes me at all, Olivia,” Sonny said in a small voice, his shoulders sagging. “No matter what I do.”

“And that’s my problem now?,” Olivia asked in an uninterested tone as she crossed out some of the shots. 

“If I do something right, it’s not even acknowledged, but if I do anything wrong, he goes out of his way to offend me,” he groaned, running his hand through his hair.

“So quit,” she said, straightening her back and giving Sonny a tired look.

“What? Quit?,” he shook his head. “I’m not a quitter. That’s not fair. This is a great opportunity.  I’m just saying that I would like some appreciation for trying my best.”

“Sonny, please, you’re not trying. You’re whining,” Olivia rolled her eyes as she collected the pictures from the table. “What do you want me to say? ‘Poor Sonny, Rafael is picking on him’. He’s just doing his job. You keep saying this is a good opportunity, but truth is you don’t even know the scale of it. You have no idea how many legends have walked these hallways. And worse than that, you don’t even care. You don’t care that while some people would die for this job, you look at it as if it is a huge burden. And you wonder why Rafael won’t hold your hand and give you a ‘well done’ sticker at the end of the day.”

Sonny was taken aback by Olivia’s response. She was often softer to him, kinder. And although she sounded way more tired than cruel, her words still felt heavy on his shoulders. He watched her carefully as she picked up last month’s issue of Runway and flicked through the pages.

“This isn’t  _ just a magazine _ . This is history in the making,” she said, running her finger through some of the shots. “This is a beacon of hope for little girls and little boys everywhere. This is an escape for a housewive or an elderly lady who can’t leave her bed. This is the answer to the questions of a high school boy who doesn’t want to be on the football team,” Olivia slammed the magazine shut suddenly and pointed a finger at him. “You need to get over yourself because if you think you’re trying your best, I’m sorry, but you’re not. And you won’t until you stop looking at  _ this  _ as something unnecessary and shallow.”

Sonny nodded, his cheeks flushed. She was right. And she wasn’t the first person to say it. He really needed to check his attitude. 

“Well, I guess after getting a lecture from three different people I have to admit the problem is me,” he sighed. “But I don’t know what to do. How do I get better?”

Despite the odd outburst, Sonny was a good assistant to Rafael. But every night he wondered when the day of delivering the book would come. That was the biggest indication of trust, that he was doing something right, but it had been almost three months and Carmen was still in charge of the book. He had to do something to show Rafael he actually cared about his job. Something bigger than bringing him Cuban coffee or sending his mother apology flowers.

He looked down on himself as it clicked on his mind. 

“Olivia,” he called. She looked up at him with an eyebrow raised. “Will you help me?”

“No,” she shook her head and pushed away from the desk.

“Olivia, Olivia, come on,” Sonny grabbed her hand and gave her a charming smile. “Please?”

“Oh don’t you flash those dimples and those baby blues at me, Dominick,” she teased. “It may work on Rafael, but I’m not that soft.”

Both of Sonny’s eyebrows shot up at that. Of course he had used his trademark puppy charm on Rafael, but he had no idea he noticed it.

“You think he hasn’t told me about you trying to win points by bringing him Cuban coffee and Italian dessert?,” Olivia smiled knowingly. “I thought you had a girlfriend.”

Sonny stuttered. “I-I do. But he’s my boss, it’s my job to get on his good graces.”

“You should know Rafael hates suck-ups,” she snickered.

Sonny was surprised. “Then why hasn’t he called me out yet?”

“I’ll let you figure that one out yourself,” Olivia winked at him and pushed him out of the room. “Now let’s go, I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“You’ll help me?!,” he asked excitedly. 

Olivia side-eyed him. “First of all, don’t you ever come into work with that five o’clock shadow. It looks sloppy, Rafael hates it. Keep an emergency razor in your desk drawer, you never know when you’ll need a shave. Also, I’m sure you’ve noticed Rafael is a big fan of layers. So if you’re wearing less than three, you’re lazy.” 

“Well, he makes it work,” Sonny shrugged awkwardly. “I’m not sure I can pull it off without looking like a scarecrow.”

“Don’t underestimate me.” 

Olivia guided him to Runway’s gigantic wardrobe section, pulling pieces out of racks and throwing it at him. From what he had in hands, she had impeccable taste. And could he expect any less from Rafael’s best friend? Sonny felt himself relax and watched closely as Olivia selected outfit after outfit for him.

“Is this a poncho?,” Sonny asked, holding it away from him. “I mean, I’m bisexual, I don’t have what it takes to wear this.”

“That’s an awful stereotype, Sonny,” Olivia reprimanded. “And you’ll wear what I give you.” 

Olivia made him try on a few of the pieces she selected for him. She seemed please with the result and, frankly, so was Sonny. He looked sharp in most of the looks, like he was one of the models he saw on the magazine. 

The clothes made him look taller, slimmer, put together. He looked at himself in the mirror for a long time. He felt handsome. And, suddenly, a whole new level of confident.

“Okay, now to one of the most important pieces you could ever have,” Olivia started with a big grin. “If you’re going on appointments with Rafael, I expect you to be wearing something like this.”

She pulled out a stunning light grey three-piece suit. It had an intricate pattern to it, and it looked incredibly expensive. If he could pull off a suit half as well as Rafael could, Sonny knew there was no coming back from this. 

“Wow,” he said. “Do you think Rafael will like this? It’s not over the top?”

Olivia gave him a soft look. “There’s no ‘over the top’ when it comes to Rafael. The more extra, the better. And I can tell you first hand he loves this suit.”

“Yeah?,” Sonny’s smile grew bigger. “Well, I guess I know what I’m wearing to work tomorrow, then. What shoes would go with it?”

* * *

“What the hell are you wearing?,” Arielle said in a squeal from the door as Sonny tried to style his hair the way the guys in the beauty department had showed him. 

“Fancy, uh?,” Sonny grinned. 

“You look like an asshole.”

Sonny stopped his hands halfway through his hair. “What?”

“I knew this job would get to you, I just didn’t think it would amount to this,” she pointed at his general direction with a disgusted face.

He was wearing the grey three-piece suit Olivia had chosen for him. And honestly, he looked good. He was clean-shaven and his hair was pretty decent now with a fresh cut. All he had to do was not ruin it with too much gel and he’d be just like one of Runway’s cover guys. 

“You know what, Arielle,” he turned to her. “I like this. I feel good in it. And for once I know my boss is gonna approve of what I’m wearing. So let me have this, please?”

“Of course he’ll approve, you look just like him,” she rolled her eyes. “Whatever Sonny, just don’t make this a thing. I’m leaving.”

“Bye,” he muttered as he turned back to the mirror to try and fix his hair. 

Any ounce of self-doubt he had felt after Arielle’s distasteful comments were gone by the time he got to the office. On his way there, a handful of people had complimented him, and he even got the phone number of a Starbucks barista while he was at it. He felt confident again and, as he stepped into the Runway office, he was smiling.

“Damn, Sonny,” he heard Carmen said. “You clean up good.”

“You think?,” Sonny twirled around to give her the full look. “How great is this? Olivia gave it to me.”

“You look really great. Rafael is going to be pleased,” she nodded. “He might even smile.”

“Ah, wouldn’t that be a dream,” he joked. But he did want to make Rafael smile. 

That’s why he picked up a cup of his favorite Cuban coffee as well as the regular Starbucks order he had every morning, and a box of cannolis. Rafael would probably not eat them, but he and Carmen could. 

So when he heard the normal morning commotion outside that meant Rafael was on his way up, he grabbed everything and marched into his office with purpose. Sonny set the Starbucks coffee on the desk, along with the box of cannoli. He straightened Rafael’s daily copy of the New York Times, and waited with his cup of Cuban in hand. 

He held his breath when he heard Carmen greet Rafael and, three seconds later, he walked in. He was distracted typing on his phone, but it only took one look for Rafael to do a double take. 

Much like he had a couple months ago, Rafael’s eyes went from Sonny’s shoes to the his hair. But  _ not _ like a couple months ago, his expression was filled with appreciation. Sonny already knew Rafael liked the suit, but he felt hot all over when Rafael’s gaze followed the slim lines that hugged his body. 

His stunning green eyes were always incredibly intense, but as he looked at Sonny, it felt like they burned him from the outside in. And it was exhilarating. 

When their eyes locked again, Rafael looked surprised, but it slowly turned into satisfaction as a small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. Sonny smiled back, a contained side smirk that only showed one of his dimples. 

“So,” Sonny started confidently. “I heard you like this suit.”

“And I heard Olivia finally got through to you,” he replied with a sly smirk.

“Somebody told me to get my head out of my ass,” he teased. “So I did.”

Rafael nodded and stepped closer, reaching to take his coffee from Sonny’s hand. “Good.”

“I brought your regular Starbucks order as well, in case you prefer that.”

“This is fine,” he said as he took a sip of it. Rafael eyed the box on his desk. “I hope that’s not cannoli.”

Sonny snorted. “It is.”

“Are you trying to sabotage me, Dominick?” 

“Not at all,” Sonny grinned. “I’m trying to tell you to eat something that’s not green. Or coffee.”

“Noted. But take those away from me,” Rafael said dramatically as he rounded Sonny to get to his desk. Sonny accidentally got a whiff of his cologne and, Christ, it was good. He made a mental note to ask Olivia what fragrance to wear. “Call Rita, tell her I need more samples of Chanel. RSVP yes to Cavalli’s party. Ask Cabot if she’s planning on sending her drawings for the gala anytime soon, I’m losing my patience,” he stopped and looked at Sonny for a moment. “And tell Olivia I said thanks for being such a miracle worker.”

Sonny laughed as he picked up the box of cannoli. “Of course.”

“That’s all,” Rafael said and grabbed his paper. 

“So?,” Carmen asked as soon as he stepped out. “Did he smile?”

“He did,” Sonny grinned and handed her the cannolis. “He liked it. I finally feel like I did something right.”

“Well, I guess I can finally say you’re a part of Runway,” she laughed. “But good for you, Sonny. Also, stop bringing sweets to the office or I’ll kill you. Paris Fashion Week is in six weeks.”

Eventually, Sonny stopped getting Rafael’s regular Starbucks order altogether and went with Cuban coffee every time. Rafael hadn’t asked for that, but Sonny noticed he didn’t touch the Starbucks cup if there was Cuban around, so it stopped being an after lunch only thing. 

He kept pestering Olivia about how to put together good outfits because he was addicted to Rafael’s look of approval every time he saw him in the morning. Sonny kept a secret list of items his boss seemed to like the most: the Tom Ford grey woven silk tie, the Dior navy blue loafers, the Gucci watch with the Angry Cat motif, and the Burberry Club striped blazer.

But the more he dressed to impress Rafael, the more pissed Arielle became. 

“That blazer is the most horrendous thing I’ve ever seen,” she sneered one morning. “And why do you have a cat on your watch? That’s childish. Is that even considered fashion?”

Sonny stopped listening to her. She didn’t get it, and Sonny was too tired to try and explain it to her again. It seemed that the most successful he felt at work, the more strained their relationship became. And Sonny really didn’t want to have to choose one over the other. Especially because, as Rafael looked him up and down when Sonny walked into his office, his choice was clear. 

“Is that the new Gucci jacket?,” he asked, sounding impressed. “Who styled it for you?”

He knew it was a risky piece. It was dark blue, embroidered with animals and floral motifs, and he styled it with a bright orange button shirt. It was a lot, but he left the shirt’s top two buttons opened so it didn’t look too preppy. He paired it with tailored  navy trousers and black loafers.

“Well, the jacket was Olivia’s suggestion, but I styled it,” Sonny said, twirling on the spot and posing dramatically. “What do you think? Did I ruin it?”

Rafael laughed. “Not at all. You did great.”

“Well, I learned from the best,” Sonny winked, a big, proud smile on his face. He melted a little every time Rafael laughed. “And I hope you’re ready, Rafael, because we have a whole pile of invites to go over.”

Rafael groaned dramatically, but gestured for Sonny to sit across from him. 

Going through Rafael’s mail was Carmen’s task, but she was on Paris duty for the next week, so Sonny was in charge of his schedule for the time being. It felt a little like a promotion, even if it was only temporary. He was doing the work of a first assistant, anyway.

The fact that he still wasn’t in charge of delivering the book continued to plague his mind, but he pushed it back to focus on the matter at hand. 

Rafael was incredibly good at multitasking, so as Sonny went through each invite, confirming or not Rafael’s presence, his boss was going through sample shots for tomorrow’s photoshoot. It was the main spread and it was probably going to make Rafael stress about it at some point later, but earlier in the morning Rafael was always at his most calm. 

The pile of invitations was at about 50, which, frankly, was not a lot. Once, it went over 100. So it was not at all surprising that Rafael was very peculiar about the ones he chose to attend. His time was very, very precious. 

“Okay so, the last one,” Sonny announced cheerily about thirty minutes later. “Michael Kors invites you to -.”

“No,” Rafael shook his head. “Not until he stops sending me boring, recycled samples.”

“Right,” Sonny nodded, then thought about it for a moment. “Why does Michael Kors get to wear the same black blazer and white shirt everywhere and I have to go all out on Gucci?”

Rafael looked at him with an amused expression. “When you become the owner of one of the most successful brands in the world you can wear whatever you want.”

A pause. Sonny tilted his head as Rafael held his gaze. “And also, he’s lazy,” he continued. 

They both burst into a fit of laughter. 

When they finally managed to calm down, Sonny had tears in his eyes and Rafael’s tie was crooked, but he fixed it quickly and stood up, picking up all the pictures in front of him with a smile still on his face. 

“Give these back to Olivia,” he handed the pictures to Sonny. “Then confirm lunch with Rita at -”

“Forlini’s? Already done,” Sonny grinned. He found it endearing that his boss and Rita always met up at such a low profile Italian restaurant, but Rafael swore by its authenticity. And he would know, because he’d been to Italy many times.

“Good. And I’m going to need a change of clothes before going -”

“To Cabot’s preview? It’s already arranged. A car will drop it by the end of your lunch with Rita, then take you to the preview,” Sonny said, preening under Rafael’s satisfied expression. 

“Great,” Rafael smiled. He watched Sonny for a second, unnecessarily smoothing his tie. “And Sonny,” he almost gasped at the use of his nickname. “I’d like you to deliver the book to my apartment tonight. When Carmen comes back, ask her for the key.”

Sonny couldn’t hide his grin even if he tried. “Of course. It’ll be my pleasure.”

“That’s all,” Rafael said softly. 

It took everything in Sonny not to fist bump the air as he left the room. But he did it once he was out of Rafael’s sight anyway. Now  _ that  _ really felt like a promotion. He was doing everything right. And Rafael trusted him enough to let him into his home. 

He felt like a teenager, butterflies going crazy inside his stomach, his cheeks pink. 

Tonight, instead of going home to fight with Arielle, he was going to deliver Runway’s most prized possession to Rafael’s apartment. And wasn’t that a chilling realization? That he was happier staying late at work than he was going home to his girlfriend?

“Hey, are you okay?,” Sonny had been consumed by his own thoughts so deeply he didn’t notice Carmen come in, but she was already well positioned at her desk, typing quickly. “You’ve been quietly staring at nothing for a while.”

“I think I have to break up with my girlfriend,” he deadpanned.

“Oh?,” Carmen stopped typing. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t think so,” he sighed. “I mean, I realized I’m happier here than I am at home.” 

At that, Carmen stood up and made her way to his desk. “What do you mean?”

“Well, she hates my clothes, for starters,” he slumped back into his chair. “We have a fight about it every morning.  But here, it’s appreciated. Olivia has so much fun picking stuff for me, and you like them, and Rafael always compliments it.”

“He does?,” Carmen smiled softly.

“Yeah,” he shrugged sheepishly. “Like, this jacket is gorgeous, and I can tell he appreciates it by the way he looks at it, you know? Like it’s the most beautiful piece of clothing he’s ever seen. And it makes me feel proud to wear it.” 

Carmen’s eyes widened as he spoke, and Sonny was confused for a second, but then she smiled again, bigger this time. “You should be. Because that’s what it is really about, right?! Feeling good in it.”

“Exactly. But Arielle doesn’t get that. She makes me feel ridiculous. She keeps saying I’m a sell-out, that I changed because of this job,” he rolled his eyes. “But if I did change, it was for the better, Carmen. And I’m tired of her judgemental comments trying to undermine the work we do here.”

At that, Carmen brought a hand to her heart and pouted. “Sonny, that’s so cute. I’m happy you feel that way about Runway. You’re doing great here, and I’m glad you feel like part of the team.”

“I do,” he nodded. “And Rafael said I could deliver the book tonight.”

“Sonny!,” she gasped, then giggled. “Are you trying to take my job, Dominick?”

“No!,” he jumped up in his seat. “Carmen, I would never. I just -”

Carmen laughed. “Calm down, I’m only joking. It’s good. He really trusts you, uh?”

“I guess,” Sonny smiled. “I feel like I got a promotion or something.”

“Well, you basically did,” Carmen stepped away for a moment to grab the key to Rafael’s apartment and handed it to him. “Guard this with your life.”

“I will,” he giddily pressed the key to his chest. 

“Okay now,” she leaned in. “Listen to me. The art department will get the book to you at around 10pm. There will be a car downstairs waiting to drive you to Rafael’s. When you get there, let yourself in quietly. Don’t knock on the door, don’t make any noise, don’t talk to anybody. There’ll be a small coffee table at the end of the hallway. Drop the book there, turn around and leave. Lock the door behind you.”

Sonny blinked. “Right. Coffee table at the end of the hallway.”

“And about your girlfriend,” Carmen sighed, dropped a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. “It’s her loss, really. Besides, there’s bigger fish in the sea,” she winked and went back to her desk.

“What do you mean?,” Sonny asked with a frown, but Carmen’s phone started ringing and she waved him off with a teasing smirk.

* * *

Waiting for the book was, unsurprisingly, boring. But it gave Sonny time to think. First, about the situation with Arielle. He was frustrated with their relationship. Ever since she started working, she seemed to think less of Sonny, as if being unemployed was his choice. 

And when he got the job at Runway, it got even worse. She mocked his clothes nonstop. She threw a tantrum every time she caught him reading the magazine. She almost threw his phone out the window when Rafael called him late at night. Yeah, that should have been his wake up call. 

They had been together for almost three years, so it was upsetting that it had to end like this, but Sonny just wasn’t happy anymore. 

Which brought him to the second topic of the night: Rafael. Because he was happy when he was with Rafael. Well, after his makeover anyway. It had been rocky at first, but Rafael was fascinating. He was a force; he knew what he wanted, when he wanted it, and how he wanted it. His gaze was so powerful, it sent chills down Sonny’s spine when he thought about it.

He was well aware that he was attracted to Rafael. But who wasn’t? The man was handsome, he was always stunningly dressed, he was powerful, confident, incredibly intelligent, and a very hard worker. The whole energy of the room shifted when he walked in. It was impossible not to feel drawn to him. 

And God, he was so passionate about his work. Sonny might have thought it was futile at first, but it really took an army to get a good issue out.  And Rafael was right at the front of that army, standing proud. When he pulled clothes out of racks and produced an unique look, when he so wisely knew exactly what to cut out or add in, the way his mind worked twice as fast in the middle of a crisis, Sonny couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

Even when he was barking orders at Sonny, he felt the heat washing through him. Rafael was just that hot.

But Sonny wanted to do more - even though he was drowning with all the demands for Paris Fashion Week. He wanted to write again, he wanted Rafael to mentor him on a piece. And although Sonny was far from a fashion expert, he was observant, and he noticed trends quickly. 

So he picked up a pen and a piece of paper and started to work on a pitch. He would have to do some research before selling it, but he smiled proudly anyway. 

“Hey, Sonny,” Olivia greeted as she walked in holding the book. “I hear it’s your big night tonight.”

“It is!,” he said excitedly. “Can you believe it?”

“I can,” Olivia smiled softly at him. “You really proved yourself. So, here you go,” she placed the book carefully in front of him. 

“Wow,” Sonny breathed as he traced his finger on the cover adoringly. “Should I be this excited?”

Olivia laughed. “I don’t know. But it’s adorable. And let me take a look at you,” she waved him over. “Rafael told me you styled yourself today.”

Sonny blushed, but stood up and walked around his desk anyway. “He told you?”

“He was very impressed with you,” she nodded approvingly as she took in his outfit. “Said you’ve never looked better.”

Sonny’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

“I am. And he’s right! You look like you stepped out of Runway’s pages. I feel like a proud mom,” she teased.

“Well, all of this is thanks to you,” he stepped closer and gave her a wet kiss on the cheek, giggling. “So thank you, Liv. And if Rafael really said that, I feel like I’m on cloud nine right now.”

“You’ve really got it bad, kid,” she snorted. 

Sonny blushed harder. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“Of course you don’t,” Olivia tapped him on the shoulder and turned to the door, waving. “I’m off. Good luck on your new adventure.”

Sonny waved back at her, then quickly picked up his coat and the book and left the office with a confident strut. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so the more I add to this, the furthest it goes from the movie, but I hope you like it anyway. 
> 
> Follow me on twitter for constant updates: @pastelpinktv. And don't forget to leave some kudos and comments, they literally make my day!


	3. Treading Lightly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After breaking up with his girlfriend, Sonny starts to notice a few changes in his relationship with Rafael. But how far can he go, considering the man is his very busy, very demanding boss?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your lovely comments on chapter 2! I hope you enjoy this one just as much.
> 
> Ah, for all the Brooklyn 99 fans out there: the Holt person in this is definitely Raymond Holt. :D Enjoy!

As Sonny unlocked the door to Rafael’s apartment, he felt nervous. It felt odd letting himself into someone’s home. Especially it being his boss’. Especially when the lights were on and he could hear Rafael’s voice coming from the end of the hall. The hall he was supposed to walk down to drop the book.

But it was his job. Rafael knew he was coming. So he took a deep breath and walked as quietly as he could. The floor was all hardwood, so it was almost impossible not making any noise, but he tried anyway. 

Rafael’s voice only got clearer as Sonny walked further into the apartment, keeping his eyes focused on the coffee table. Sonny could tell he was talking to his mother by the way he kept shifting in and out of Spanish. And by how he seemed to sigh very deeply as she spoke. 

The coffee table was actually just outside what seemed to be Rafael’s home office. Sonny smiled. Of course Rafael had a home office. And of course that’s where he was at almost 11pm. 

Sonny carefully set the book on the table, but when he straightened his back again, something caught his attention. There was a whole array of framed certificates and awards on the wall outside Rafael’s office, and the one who caught Sonny’s attention was a Pulitzer award certificate. Sonny’s jaw dropped as he saw there were two others beside it. 

“Sonny?,” he heard Rafael call him, and he jumped up, startled. He was standing casually at the door to the office now, seeming to have ended the call with his mother.

“Christ,” Sonny gasped, his hand on his chest. “Jesus. I’m sorry. I got distracted.”

Rafael smiled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You won the Pulitzer,” he said dumbly, looking at the frames again. “Three times”

“Yeah, I had a good run at the New York Times,” Rafael replied nonchalantly.

“How do you go from the New York Times to Runway?,” Sonny asked, and instantly regretted it.

“What? Like being editor in chief for the biggest fashion magazine in the country is a downgrade?,” he waved a dismissive hand when Sonny started stuttering an apology. “I always wanted to work in fashion, but it was a heavily female populated world back then. When I won my third one, which was on a piece about the absurdity of animal cruelty in fashion, by the way, they had to pay attention.” 

“Well, I’m glad they did,” Sonny grinned. “I hope I achieve that level of success someday.”

“Sonny, I actually hired you because you reminded me of me,” he said candidly, and Sonny felt his heart almost jump out of his chest. “Young, a little naive, a big hero complex. I remember what it was like thinking you can change the world. You can’t, I’ll tell you that much, but you can make a great deal of difference.”

Sonny considered his words for a moment. He realized Rafael didn’t have a jacket nor a vest on, but he kept his tie in place. He had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, and he was wearing suspenders. Rafael wore suspenders underneath his three-piece suit? Well, that was a piece of information Sonny never thought he’d like to have. 

“I’m sorry I was so self-absorbed at first,” he said, looking at his feet. “I’m grateful to work at Runway, I really am.”

Rafael smiled. “Would you like a drink? I was just about to pour myself a glass of Whiskey.”

“Uh,” Sonny checked his watch. He technically wasn’t on the clock anymore. 

“Hey, you delivered the book, you’re off for the night,” Rafael insisted. 

“Alright, then,” he nodded. 

Rafael walked back into his office and Sonny followed, trying not to look around too much, but from his quick assessment he noticed the place looked more like a library than an actual office.

As Rafael poured them their drinks, Sonny watched him closely. He looked somewhat relaxed, casual. Not like he needed to make a hundred demands and save the world of fashion from bursting into flames. He noticed Rafael pull at his tie as he poured the second drink, loosening it.

“Here you go,” he said and handed Sonny a glass. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I understand that hanging around with your boss might not be your preferred pastime.”

“No, I want to,” Sonny took a sip of his drink as it to prove his point. “And I kinda need it tonight.”

“Yeah, I overheard you and Carmen talking earlier today,” Rafael gave him a sympathetic look and sat down on the leather couch in the center of the room. He motioned for Sonny to do the same. 

“You overheard?,” Sonny teased as he unbuttoned his jacket and took a seat beside Rafael. “You mean you eavesdropped.”

Rafael raised an eyebrow at him, looking amused. “Do I look like I have the time to eavesdrop on my assistants’ gossip?”

“You look like you could make the time,” Sonny shrugged. 

Rafael laughed and took a sip of his whiskey. “Clever.”

“Thanks,” he winked. “And about Arielle, it’s not working. She really doesn’t like it that I work at Runway.” 

“Have you considered that she might be jealous?”

“What? No way,” Sonny waved him off. “Don’t get me wrong, I actually do like working there now, but she works at the New York Globe. Why would she be jealous of my job as a secretary?”

“Sonny, the New York Globe is falling to pieces,” Rafael said with a grave tone. “They’ve lost most of their sponsors, most of the editors have quit. I give it two more years before they run their last edition.” 

“Are you serious?,” Sonny was stunned. Arielle didn’t tell him any of that. “Well, then maybe that’s why she’s been so snappy lately.”

“Or maybe she’s just an asshole who doesn’t know what she’s missing,” Rafael muttered into his glass. 

“Funny,” Sonny chuckled. “She calls  _ you  _ an asshole a lot.”

“Takes one to know one,” Rafael shrugged.

Sonny turned to him with a surprised expression. He had never heard Rafael be self-deprecating before. He didn’t like knowing that Rafael felt that way, but it was exciting seeing another side to him. One that maybe wasn’t so confident after all.

“Hey, I don’t think you’re an asshole,” Sonny smiled softly. “Well, not anymore.”

“You’d be the first one, then,” Rafael rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you’ve heard the rumours.”

“I have,” he nodded, leaning closer. “And I’m smart enough to not actually listen to them. You’re a famous, public, successful person. Of course people are going to start shit.”

“So you don’t think there’s any truth to it?,” Rafael challenged. 

“Maybe some,” he cocked his head. “Isn’t that how rumours start?”

“I guess,” he said, looking at Sonny for a long moment before shooting back the rest of his drink. “I’m glad to have you on our team, Sonny. Even if it took you a while to warm up to Runway.”

Sonny grinned. “I’m glad to be there. And I’m happy I get to work with you.”

Sonny saw it when Rafael’s eyes flickered to his lips. His heart stopped. He unconsciously licked his bottom lip, and Rafael traced the movement before his eyes snapped back up to his. Sonny felt something tugging at his chest, telling him to lean closer. But he couldn’t. Not when Arielle was waiting for him to get home. 

But he smiled anyway. He smiled, reached out for Rafael’s hand and squeezed it. “Thanks for the drink, but I should go.” 

“Right,” Rafael nodded and stood up. 

“It was good talking to you,” Sonny said as he handed Rafael his glass. When their fingers brushed, he felt himself burn inside. “You know, outside of work.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “We could do it again another time.”

“I’d like that,” he said and very much on purpose shot him his most charming smile. “Goodnight, Rafael.”

“See you tomorrow,” Rafael said, his voice breathy. 

As Sonny locked Rafael’s door behind him, he didn’t even try to contain his giddiness. Because maybe Rafael was attracted to him as well. 

* * *

Even though it was close to midnight when Sonny got home, Arielle was still up. She had spread a few paper sheets on the dinner table as she typed wildly on her computer. Taking a good look at her now, he could see how stressed she seemed.

“You’re home late,” she said dryly, not taking her eyes off the screen. “I hope he’s paying you extra.”

“Arielle, we need to talk,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Why didn’t you tell me about the Globe?”

Arielle froze at that. “What about the Globe?”

“About the editors quitting,” Sonny pulled out a chair and sat across from her, giving her a sympathetic look. “About losing sponsors.” 

“It’s none of your business.”

“What?,” he chuckled humorlessly. “Arielle, what happened to you? We used to talk about everything.  _ Everything _ . Now you won’t even look at me.”

“I can’t!,” she threw her hands up frustratingly. “You’ve changed, Sonny. You’ve got tunnel-vision on Runway now.” 

“That’s not fair,” he frowned. “First, you harassed me about not having a job, then you made fun of me for even going to the interview at Runway. Then when I got the job, you’ve made sure to tell me just how much you hate the magazine and Rafael, and now you pick on everything I wear.”

“What’s your point, Sonny?,” she narrowed her eyes. 

“My point is: do you hate my job because the Globe is going through a crisis?” 

“No, I hate your job because it is a joke, Sonny,” she stood up suddenly and started pacing. “When people ask me what you do, do you think I’m happy saying ‘oh he goes on coffee runs for a jackass’? No, it’s embarrassing! You were an editor! You won awards! How can you sit by that guy’s feet and just take his demands?” 

Sonny blinked, his mouth agape. “Is that how you see me? Like I'm just an errand boy?” 

“Isn’t that what you are?,” Arielle asked mockingly. 

“Arielle, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this,” he stood up, shaking his head. “We’re not good for each other anymore.”

“Understatement of the year,” she muttered. “I’m going to pack a bag. I’ll stay at my mom’s tonight.” 

“That’s for the best,” he nodded. “And I’m sorry about the Globe. I hope it all works out.”

“Yeah, me too,” Arielle sighed, picked up the papers and her computer and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. 

Sonny removed his jacket and placed it carefully on the back of a chair. He sighed, feeling his shoulders sagging. It was sad; break ups always were, but he was so sure he and Arielle would be better off without each other, he couldn’t even bring himself to be heartbroken about it. 

It hurt that she saw him like Rafael’s pet when he actually worked hard to be more than that. Sonny had built a good relationship with the Runway team, and Rafael had just showed him that he was trusted and appreciated. And Olivia and Carmen had been  _ so  _ happy for him. 

Without even noticing it, he was smiling. Because he cared about those people, and they cared about him. And that one year plan suddenly didn’t make sense anymore. He couldn’t see himself turning away from them then, but he also didn’t want to be Rafael’s assistant forever.

Sonny remembered the little note with his idea for a pitch sitting in his pocket. He pulled it out and unfolded it. Maybe Rafael would say no to this one, but then the next one he could say yes. And if he did a good job, maybe he’d have a shot at becoming a reporter. Why wait for doors to open outside of Runway when he had it all available for him there?

As Arielle packed, Sonny sat back on the table and continued working on his idea. 

“I’m leaving,” Arielle announced forty minutes later. She had a large bag in one hand, her computer and cellphone on the other. She didn’t look sad. Truth be told, Arielle looked relieved. “I hope you find your place, Sonny. Good luck.”

Sonny didn’t say anything as she opened the door and left. He couldn’t tell her he _had_ found his place, even if she didn’t approve of it. He didn’t need to tell her because she would see it soon enough. 

So he locked the door, picked up his notes, turned off the lights and went to bed. Tomorrow seemed much more promising.

* * *

“So how was it?,” Carmen asked early in the morning as he stepped into the office.

“It went well,” he nodded. “I followed all your instructions. Except I got distracted by the framed awards.”

“Sonny!,” she gasped and giggled softly. “Did Rafael see you?”

“He did. He invited me into his office for a drink and we talked for a while,” he said shyly.

“He what?,” Carmen squealed. “You had a drink with him?”

“I did,” he grimaced. “Is that bad? Should I have said no?”

Carmen shook her head. “It’s not bad. It’s just… unexpected.”

“He said he thought I needed a drink because he  _ overheard  _ us talking about Arielle.”

“You mean he eavesdropped,” she rolled her eyes and Sonny laughed. “Rafael loves office gossip.”

“I figured. So we had a nice chat about it,” Sonny leaned closer to whisper. “Rafael is single, right?,” Carmen nodded. “Because I think we had… a moment.”

Carmen squealed louder and Sonny shushed her. “What?! You what?”

“Okay, you gotta stop squealing like that or they’ll call security,” Sonny snorted. “It was just a moment. We didn’t do anything.”

“Why not?”

“Well, firstly because of Arielle. Secondly because I’m not sure how to go about it. He’s my boss. I’m sure there’s some conflict of interest there."

“Oh my god, Sonny, we work in fashion. Don’t be so dramatic,” she waved him off. 

“No, I don’t mean like that,” Sonny frowned. “I mean, I want to work for the New York Times, right?! But Rafael worked there, so if we got involved -”

“He could help you get there,” Carmen finished for him. “Isn’t that what supportive relationships are all about? Besides, I think he’d help you anyway. So it’s a win-win.”

Sonny considered Carmen’s comment. Yeah, Rafael would probably help him anyway, but he didn’t want him to think Sonny was using him for some personal gain. So he thought it would be better to tread lightly until things were clearer between them.

“Did you talk to Arielle last night?,” Carmen asked, looking sympathetic. 

“I did, actually,” he sighed. “We broke up."

“I’m sorry, Sonny,” she said, pulling him into a hug. 

“I’m fine. It was for the best.”

Out of nowhere, Sonny heard someone clear their throat behind him and he and Carmen jumped apart, turning to see Rafael looking at them with a curious expression.

“Am I interrupting?,” he asked, looking amused. 

“Sonny broke up with his girlfriend, so I was just comforting him,” Carmen said, looking at Rafael with a knowing smile.

Rafael’s eyebrows went up at the new information and he looked at Sonny. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

_ You’re not _ , Sonny wanted to say, but didn’t. He smoothed his tie and smiled softly. “It’s all good. No hearts broken. It was for the best.”

“Good,” Rafael nodded curtly and turned to Carmen, starting his list of demands for the morning before making his way to his office. 

Sonny waited for Rafael to sit at his desk, then shot Carmen a playful look, grabbed his boss’ coffee and walked into the room. 

This time, when Rafael looked him up and down, it was different. He seemed to do it more freely, less restrained, shamelessly. He didn’t hold back to keep his reaction mild. Rafael let his eyes turn into a pool of  _ want _ as he ran his eyes up Sonny’s legs. He let his lips form a wolfish grin as he took in the vest hugging Sonny’s narrow waist. 

Sonny felt his cheeks warming up at the way Rafael looked like he wanted to eat him whole, in one single bite. He felt his blood boiling at the open display of lust. His knees suddenly seemed too weak, so he didn’t move. He stood there, watching as Rafael’s eyes licked his entire body.

When too much time had passed and Sonny still didn’t move, Rafael stood up. Slowly, he made his way to where Sonny was standing. He took the coffee from Sonny’s hand and siped it, still watching him. Sonny swallowed dryly. He wanted nothing more than to grab Rafael and kiss him thoroughly. 

“You look good,” Rafael said, his voice calculatingly even. “That vest suits you.”

“Thanks,” Sonny replied, his words barely above a whisper. 

“That’s all,” Rafael teased, winking at him before sitting back at his desk and grabbing his paper. 

Sonny shook his head and willed his feet to move. Well, that was fun.

Open displays of interest aside, their dynamics at work didn’t change much. Sonny still kept doing his best, almost drowning in pools of belts, scarves, shoes, hats, and whatnot. He was still about to lose his mind over his boss’ incessant list of demands, some crazier than others. He still got his ass handed to him when he messed up, and still didn’t get a “well done” sticker at the end of a successful day. 

Because that’s what it took to run Runway, and Sonny slowly started loving the process. Especially when he saw how well the team’s efforts reflected on the pages of the magazine. And he was part of that team. Proudly so.

But everything did change when Sonny was off the clock, after dropping the book at Rafael’s apartment.

He wasn’t always home when Sonny dropped by, and he wasn’t always alone, but when he was, Rafael always asked Sonny to join him at his library slash office for a drink and a chat. 

They talked about everything, not only work, not only fashion, not only journalism. They talked about their families - or mostly Sonny talked about his sisters -, their hobbies, their favorite books and TV shows. They shared tentative touches, lingering looks, words of encouragement. 

Sonny still wasn’t sure how to deal with the mutual attraction, but when they were sitting on Rafael’s couch, jackets off, ties undone, giggling like teenage boys, it was so easy to let himself go. 

He lost himself in Rafael’s eyes, he lost track of time at Rafael’s words, he lost any sense of decorum when Rafael touched him.

He found himself falling for Rafael. Hard and fast.

Which, in the light of day, at the office, while Rafael fumed over a ruined spread, could potentially become a problem.

Olivia was trying to calm Rafael down as Sonny and Carmen stood by the door, each clutching their notepads to their chest, waiting for the moment Rafael would start rattling ideas to try and salvage everything.

“Rafa, we can push this back,” Olivia said for the third time as Rafael paced frantically.

“No, we can’t,” he shook his head. “It’ll be outdated then. We have to drop it altogether now. Oh, I can’t wait to explain losing a hundred thousand dollars to the Elias-Clarke headboard.”

Sonny gulped. Having to drop a whole spread? He braced himself for the eventual lashing out. 

“You won’t have to,” Olivia sighed. “I already did.”

Rafael paused. “What? Why?”

“Because it was my fault.”

Sonny thought Rafael’s head was about to launch itself off his body and into the sun. 

“I dropped the ball on this one, Rafael. I’m sorry. But I’ve dealt with the headboard, now we have to work on filling those pages with something else”, Olivia honestly didn’t look that fazed by the whole thing. Rafael did have the tendency to overreact, but losing a spread was kind of a big deal. Sonny was confused.

“It was six pages,” Rafael said, exasperated. 

“I’ve got a few ideas,” Olivia sat down on the chair across Rafael’s table. “Could you sit down so I can run them by you?”

Rafael still looked like his face was about to melt off, but he looked at Olivia with a resigned expression and sat down. Before motioning for her to continue, he looked at Carmen and Sonny. “You can go,” he said.

They turned quickly and left the room in quick steps, happy to be out of the line of fire. Sonny shot Carmen an inquisitive look, but she only frowned and shrugged at him. Before he could ask her if she knew about anything he didn’t, the phone rang.

“Rafael Barba’s office,” he greeted.

“Dominick,” Rita cheered. “Good to know you’re still around.”

“Rita,” he smiled. Sonny really liked her. “Rafael is really busy right now. But what can I do for you?”

“No need to bother him. I just wanted to tell you that Holt’s got a few sketches for Rafael. He’s throwing a brunch party later today and you can pick them up there. I sent the invite to your email.” 

“Oh, great,” Rita always did seem to try and make things easier for him, and he appreciated that. “Thank you. Should I look straight for Holt, then?”

“Yes, he’ll be expecting you,” she confirmed. 

“Perfect. Have a great day, Rita.”

“You, too. And tell Rafael to call me once his head is not about to shoot off into space,” she chuckled. 

“Will do.”

* * *

Holt’s brunch party was not a simple brunch party. Much like every other rich person in New York, he went all out with the most simple of things. Thankfully, he wasn’t a difficult man to spot, otherwise Sonny feared he’d get lost in the penthouse and never find the exit.

He saw him surrounded by what seemed like other rich, very important people. Holt was tall, and he held himself with unbeatable, effortless grace. It always seemed like he was hovering on air, like his feet never actually touched the ground.

“Excuse me, Mr. Holt,” Sonny said as he approached the group. “I’m Dominick, Rafael Barba’s assistant. Rita Calhoun said you had something for Rafael.”

“Big names, uh?,” a short blonde woman by Holt’s side teased, looking him up and down.

“Dominick. Rita told me you were coming. Please, follow me,” he smiled politely and walked towards a door at the far corner of the room. 

It was a small, basic office. It didn’t look like it got much use. But Holt opened a drawer and pulled out a briefcase, handing it to Sonny with a satisfied grin. 

“These are my originals,” he said. “Guard it with your life.”

“Of course,” Sonny was used to hearing that. Apparently every designer thought their collections was a state secret. And to Runway, they were. “Thank you.”

“Would you like a drink?,” Holt asked as he walked them out of the room and into the party again. “Being Rafael’s assistant, I’m sure you deserve it.”

Sonny smiled. “I appreciate it, Mr. Holt, but I’m -”

“One drink won’t kill you,” he shot Sonny a charming smile. “My liquor is top quality, I promise you that. Have one, mingle for a while, then you can go.”

“Alright,” Sonny nodded. Holt guided him to the bar and ordered something Sonny didn’t recognize by name. 

“You’ll like it,” he said as the bartender served him. “It’s sweet.”

Sonny took a sip and, yes, it was very sweet. And also very, very alcoholic. He felt it burn down his throat. 

“Excuse me, Dominick, a few more guests have just walked in,” Holt told him, looking at the door. He left before Sonny could reply. 

Sonny looked around for a moment. He could pick out a few faces from the crowd. A couple models and a handful of designers. It was one of those big guns parties that made Sonny feel like he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“Hey, there,” greeted a bright voice behind him. He turned to see a tall man, taller than him even, with striking green eyes giving him a contained smile. “You look like you could use some company.”

He blinked.

The other man’s smile grew. “My name is Trevor Langan,” he stretched his hand out for Sonny. “I don’t remember seeing you around.”

“Dominick Carisi, but please call me Sonny,” Sonny found his voice and shook Trevor’s hand. “It’s my first time at a brunch party. And at one of Holt’s parties.”

“Fun. And what do you do, Sonny?,” he asked, leaning forwards.

“Uh,” Sonny took a small step back. “I’m a journalist.”

“Oh, really?,” Trevor’s grin turned from polite to flirtatious in a blink. “So am I. I occasionally write for the New Yorker.”

“What?,” Sonny eyes widened. “Of course. Trevor Langan. I’ve read some of your articles. You’re really good.”

“Thank you. Could I have read anything you’ve published?”

“I doubt it,” Sonny shrugged. “I’m from Staten Island, most of my stuff was published locally. I moved to New York three years ago.”

“And where do you work now?,” Trevor asked, a curious glint in his eyes as he, not at all discreetly, checked Sonny out. “I could swear you were a model.”

Sonny blushed despite himself. “I work for Rafael Barba, at Runway. I’m his assistant, actually,” and he said it with pride. 

“Oh,” Trevor frowned. “That’s too bad.”

Sonny mirrored his frown. “Why do you say that?”

Trevor snorted. “Well, it’s just that nobody survives Rafael. It’s like he doesn’t want anyone but himself to succeed.”

Sonny’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”

“Well, I’m sure you’ve heard the rumours,” Trevor shrugged casually. “There’s a reason why Olivia Benson is jumping off that ship. There’s no room for growth with Rafael.”

He blinked rapidly, shaken by what Trevor was saying. Olivia was leaving? Was that why she sank the spread earlier? And did she take the fall for it because she quit?

Olivia was Rafael’s left arm. He trusted her more than anybody. Did he know about this? Should Sonny tell him?

“Tell you what, Sonny,” Trevor said, pulling out a business card from the inside of his jacket. “There’s my email. Send me some of your work and we can talk. I can help you find something better than being Rafael’s assistant.”

“i-,” Sonny shook his head, setting his mostly untouched drink on the counter. “I gotta go.” 

Trevor smiled at him. A big, shark-like grin. “It was nice meeting you. I hope to see you soon.”

Sonny didn’t reply. He turned on his heels and left the party, his ears buzzing and his heart pounding. 

What was happening?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know anticipation has been built enough, so I'll give you something: there's a kiss next chapter. So if you're looking forward to that, leave a kudo and a comment! As soon as this gets to 85 kudos, I'll post chapter 4 ;) Share this story with your friends!
> 
> I'm almost done writing chapter 6, by the way. Which is technically the last one, because chapter 7 is an epilogue. I don't want it to end!


	4. Worst Kept Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonny can't keep a secret from Rafael, so when he decides to tell him about Trevor Langan's gossip, he gets way more than he bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! They finally kiss! I'm sorry it took so long, I just wanted to build trust between them. 
> 
> But the wait is over. Enjoy!

The night after Holt’s brunch party, Sonny got to Rafael’s house feeling dejected. He kept the book close to his chest, almost snuggling it like a baby. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about what Trevor Langan had told him. About Rafael. About Olivia. About other possibilities for his career. 

Sonny sighed deeply. He felt at home at Runway. He felt welcomed, like an active and important part of a team. An useful piece in a well-oiled machine. And he cared for his team. So to hear those things coming out of a stranger’s mouth really got to him. 

He felt defensive at the same time he felt betrayed. If what Trevor said about Olivia leaving was true, he’d be heartbroken. And he couldn’t bare to think what it would be like for Rafael to lose such an important piece of the Runway team. 

But he was also conflicted. Because Sonny felt like he owed it to Rafael to tell him what he heard, but he also thought he owed it to Olivia to give her a chance to explain herself before being cornered. 

However, as he walked into Rafael’s apartment, he knew he couldn’t keep it a secret. Rafael trusted him. And he would do anything to keep that trust.

“Sonny?,” Rafael called as soon as he dropped the book on the coffee table. He only used Sonny’s nickname when they were off the clock. 

He peeked his head through the open door of Rafael’s library. “Hey, Raf.”

Rafael was sitting on the big, comfortable chair behind his desk, a seating chart opened on top of it. “I’ve looked at this for so long I don’t know who is who anymore.” Runway was throwing a closing party after Paris Fashion Week and Rafael was, of course, the host. 

Sonny snorted. “Have you eaten anything?” 

“Of course not,” Rafael waved a hand.

“I’ll make you something really quick.”

“No carbs,” he warned.

“Honestly, Rafael,” Sonny feigned distress. “I’m Italian. That’s hurtful.”

“No carbs, or get out of my house,” Rafael said in a serious tone, looking up at him with narrowed eyes.

“Fine,” Sonny threw his hands up in surrender. “But when you’re back from Paris I’ll cook you a whole banquet and you better eat it all.”

Rafael rolled his eyes dramatically, but Sonny saw the fond look he gave him as he turned away to go into the kitchen. 

Sonny had been invited into Rafael’s kitchen on the third night of his book duties. Sonny mentioned he hadn’t had dinner, and Rafael offered to heat up some leftovers for him. 

The space was huge. A beautiful, classic, black and white design. Sonny felt like he could live there. And Rafael noticed his amazement, saying he was free to use it anytime. 

So Sonny did. He cooked for Rafael a couple times, and for himself once, when Rafael wasn’t hungry because he had just gotten home from a business dinner and Sonny remembered he had skipped lunch because he was running errands. 

The place was always clean and the pantry full. It was a dream.

Tonight, though, he wasn’t in the mood to savour all the nooks and crannies of Rafael’s kitchen. He needed to tell him about Trevor Langan. The longer he waited, the more it consumed him.

So he quickly tossed a classic ceasar salad and served it on the kitchen island. He liked eating there. He thought Rafael might too. 

“Raf?,” he called out. A few seconds later, he walked into the kitchen and Sonny’s heart melted. He was dressed in only his white undershirt and black slacks. He was barefoot and his hair was free of any product, falling on his forehead. 

He looked so soft and comfortable, Sonny felt like cooing at him. 

“Thank you, Sonny,” he said as he sat on a high stool, his legs dangling freely on air. Rafael picked up his fork and pointed it at the refrigerator. “There’s beer in the fridge.”

Sonny tilted his head. “You don’t drink beer.”

Rafael shrugged and smiled softly, moving his salad around a bit. “But you do.”

Sonny’s jaw dropped slightly as he felt the stirring in his chest that meant he had just fallen a little bit more in love with Rafael. Which was why he couldn’t simply pretend he hadn’t heard what he did. What he felt was too big to jeopardize.  

He opened the fridge, picked up a beer, opened it and took a long sip in what seemed to be an absent minded daze. Like he was on autopilot. 

Rafael, ever so observant, picked up on Sonny’s internal struggle quickly. “Are you okay? You look worried.”

Sonny sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I went to Holt’s brunch party today to pick up his sketches, right?,” Rafael’s reply was a tentative hum. “I met Trevor Langan and -“

Sonny looked up when Rafael dropped his fork loudly inside his bowl. He stood up and rounded the kitchen island to stand in front of Sonny, arms crossed over his chest, jaw clenched. “What did he say?” 

“Uh, a lot of things,” Sonny swallowed dryly. “I’m not sure what to tell you, I don’t want to overstep. I feel like I’m crossing a line by wanting to tell you.”

“We’re past that,” he shook his head and took a step closer to Sonny. “What did he tell you?” 

“He said some things about you,” Sonny said with a small voice, picking the label off his beer bottle. “Things that I don’t think are true. And he talked about Olivia.”

Rafael narrowed his eyes. “What about Olivia?” 

“That she’s leaving Runway,” Sonny looked up to catch Rafael’s reaction, but there wasn’t much of one. His jaw tightened a bit more and he squared up his shoulders slightly. “Is she? Leaving?”

“We’ve talked about it,” Rafael sighed, dropping his hands to his side. 

“What?,” Sonny gasped. 

“Trevor Langan is a sleazebag, but he’s also about to become an executive director at French Runway, and Olivia has been offered an editor position there.”

“Wait,” Sonny shook his head, unsure of what he was hearing. “Olivia is moving to France?”

“Maybe,” Rafael ran a hand across his face. “The trip to Paris for Fashion Week will be decisive.”

Sonny was speechless. He couldn’t imagine Runway without Olivia, but at the same time, it was a great opportunity for her. Because although he hated to admit it, Trevor got one thing right. The next step for Olivia at American Runway was becoming editor in chief, and she’d never take that away from Rafael. 

“What did Trevor say about me?,” Rafael asked, an annoyed look on his face. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Sonny waved a dismissive hand. “He was just feeding the rumours.”

“And you don’t believe him?” 

“Not even for one second,” Sonny smiled, reaching for Rafael’s hand. 

“But you seemed so worried,” he raised an eyebrow at Sonny. 

“Because I thought Olivia was going behind your back,” he admitted shyly. “I thought about the spread she sank, and I made unfair assumptions.” 

Rafael smiled and stepped even closer to him, their hands almost squished between them. “You were looking out for me.” 

“Of course,” Sonny smiled back. “I always have.” 

Rafael shot him a look. Sonny snorted. 

“Okay, maybe not  _ always _ . But I do now. And I always will,” Sonny leaned forward, resting their foreheads together. 

“Thank you,” Rafael breathed. “But don’t you ever talk to Trevor Langan again, he’s disgraceful.”

“Noted.” 

“Sonny?,” Rafael called, his voice quiet, just for him to hear.

“Uh?,” Sonny replied, feeling love blooming in his chest as he looked into Rafael’s eyes. 

“Are you going to kiss me anytime soon? I’m losing my patience.”

Sonny laughed. He took a small step back to put his beer bottle on the kitchen counter, then turned back into Rafael’s embrace, holding his face between his hands as he leaned closer and closer. 

Rafael closed his eyes in anticipation, his hands on Sonny’s hips, and he took a moment to admire the other man’s beautiful face before he finally closed the distance. 

Rafael’s lips were soft and warm, inviting. Sonny heard  _ and _ felt him let out a pleased sigh. He tasted faintly of whiskey and mint, and smelled like expensive aftershave and something else that was entirely Rafael. 

Sonny felt Rafael’s hands going slowly up his back, pulling him closer as their lips moved so beautifully in synch. It was a sweet kiss, languid, and it set Sonny on fire. 

Rafael broke it first, pulling back to look at Sonny. He kept his eyes closed, trying to ride the sensation of Rafael’s lips on his, of Rafael pressed against him, for longer. 

He let Rafael guide him backwards, until his lower back hit the counter behind him. He pressed even closer to Sonny, their bodies flushed together from their knees to their chests. And this time, when Rafael kissed him, there was an urgency to it. Like Rafael was thirsty and Sonny was just one tall glass of water.

When Rafael’s tongue touched his, he felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He couldn’t help but groan as the kiss grew deeper, more desperate, Rafael’s hand pulling at his lapels to keep him in place. As if Sonny would ever go anywhere.

Sonny dropped his hands to Rafael’s waist, pulling his shirt up until his fingers touched his skin. Rafael moaned into his mouth, his tongue licking harder into it. 

He felt Rafael’s muscles relax under his hands as he explored the whole expanse of his back. Down his back, up to his shoulders. He wanted to rip the shirt off of him completely, but he’d rather die than break the kiss. 

So he kept one hand on Rafael’s lower back as the other one snaked between them to touch his stomach, going up his chest slowly. 

Rafael moaned again and bucked his hips against Sonny. He felt Rafael’s length hard, pressing on his thigh, and he groaned louder. It was probably the hottest sensation he had ever felt. 

Sonny was going slightly dizzy at how fast his blood was rushing south.

When Rafael rolled his hips, Sonny felt his knees threaten to give out. He couldn’t get enough of it, so the hand that was on Rafael’s lower back went down to his ass at the same time the one on his chest found a nipple. 

Rafael broke the kiss and Sonny almost whined, but the sight of the other man throwing his head back to buck harder into Sonny’s thigh was worth it. His lips looked raw, shiny and puffy. Thoroughly kissed. It was a great look on him. 

He opened his eyes and held his head back down to look at Sonny. The beautiful green shade was all but gone, Rafael’s pupils so dilated his eyes were almost black. 

Rafael ran his hand through Sonny’s hair as he pulled him into a quick and dirty kiss, his hips moving sinfully against him. 

Before Sonny could even process what was happening, Rafael was on his knees, undoing his belt. And as Sonny looked up at the ceiling to thank all deities for beautiful miracles, he felt his heart flutter out of his chest and fall into Rafael’s unsuspecting hands. 

* * *

To say Sonny was in a good mood the next day was an understatement. He felt like he was walking on clouds. Like he could break out in song at any moment.

However, he did his best to remain professional. And so did Rafael. Even if their looks lingered a little more, or if smiles came a little easier. They still had very important jobs to do. 

Besides that, Sonny really wanted to talk to Olivia about what Rafael told him. He didn’t want her to leave. Because Rafael might not say it, but Sonny knew he was heartbroken by the idea of losing her to French Runway. 

And Sonny had grown close to her. They had a good relationship. It was as if Olivia was his New York City mom since his actual mother was still in Staten Island. And if she actually left, he would be happy for her new job, but he’d still miss her terribly. And God knew who they’d send to take her place. What if it was someone awful who Rafael would end up murdering?

So while on his lunch break, Sonny went looking for Olivia. She wasn’t in the newsroom nor in the art department, so he marched down to the fashion department's closet. She was trying to decide between two stunning dresses when Sonny spotted her. 

“Olivia,” he called as he approached her.

“Hey, I was just coming over to give you this,” she said with a smile, unfolding a scarf. Sonny’s eye widened. It was a gorgeous Burberry check cashmere scarf in a stunning bright sky blue color. “The weather is getting colder now and I think it would look great with that black Coach double faced coat.” 

“Liv, this is beautiful,” he ran the soft fabric through his fingers and smiled. “Thank you. But I wanted to talk to you about something, actually.”

“Oh?,” she frowned. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know. Is it?,” he narrowed his eyes. “Rafael told me something interesting. About French Runway.” 

Olivia’s eyes widened. “You know about that?” 

“I met Trevor Langan yesterday and -“

“Say no more,” Olivia rolled her eyes. “Listen Sonny, I haven’t made any decisions yet. We’ve been talking, and there’ll be an important meeting in Paris, but that’s all for now.”

“Do you want to leave?”

Olivia sighed and looked at him with soft eyes. “Don’t ask me difficult questions right now. All I know is that I’ve been working here for almost 20 years, Sonny. And I’m not interested in taking Rafael’s job, so I’m considering other possibilities.”

“I’d miss you,” Sonny said candidly, reaching for Olivia’s hand. “And Rafael would go crazy.”

Olivia laughed, squeezing his hand. “You’d both be fine without me. Because you’ve got each other,” she gave him a knowing look. “Rafael told me about last night.”

Sonny blushed, smiling shyly. “Yeah, it was nice.”

“I think it was more than nice,” she teased. “I’m happy for you.” 

“Thanks, Liv,” he dropped her hand. “For what it’s worth, I hope everything works out well for you.” 

“Me too,” Olivia’s eyes got misty suddenly, and she shook her head. “Now let’s go. Paris is in 10 days and we have a lot of work to do.”

* * *

Between hours getting crazier at the office due to Paris Fashion Week and Sonny spending late nights with Rafael, he almost couldn’t get any time to work on his pitch.

But he did. 

During his lunch hours, on the car as he ran from store to store, at the end of his shift as he waited for the book. Little by little, he managed to come up with something that he was sure would capture Rafael’s attention. He didn’t expect to actually write it, but at least it was his idea. 

Talking to Rafael about it when he was about four days away from flying to Paris probably wasn’t a great idea. But he would be gone for five days, and Sonny’s duties would decrease drastically with Rafael being out of the country, so Sonny was confident he could work on it a little more during that time, if Rafael approved of it.

He kept a close eye on Rafael’s schedule for the day, waiting for five minutes to open up somewhere so he could jump into his office quickly. 

Between a fitting and reviewing pictures for an upcoming spread, Rafael had 20 minutes “free” before he had to go out to meet a designer for a preview. Sonny took a deep breath, and walked into his boss’ office with as much confidence as he could.

“I’m sorry to waste your time, but I made sure your schedule was somewhat free so I could pitch you an idea,” he said in almost one breath.

Rafael looked up and raised an eyebrow at him, looking unimpressed . “Excuse me?”

“Well, you see, I was checking the throwback fashion spread we did and you know how corsets are back?! Well, it gave me an idea. Because you know who wears corsets? Drag queens. And I realized that a lot of the modern trends come from drag culture, right?! Like highlighting, overlining, bold eyebrows, and contouring. People want you to think the Kardashians invented that, but no, drag queens have been doing it for decades. So why not give credit where it is due? While other magazines pay thousands of dollars for a piece on the Kardashians, why not go back to the roots of it all? It would definitely be an exclusive. And more original.” 

Sonny got it all out in one. He didn’t even stutter. He was proud of himself, even if Rafael’s expression hadn’t changed at all through the whole explanation. Even if Rafael shut him down and told him to leave, he was happy.

“You’re suggesting we do a spread on drag queens?,” Rafael asked, slowly. 

“Not on  _ drag queens _ . On the art of it. The make up,” he shrugged. “It’s not like a profile. Think of it as an exposition.”

The silence stretched for a long time, Sonny and Rafael locked in a staring competition. Sonny smiling, Rafael with a poker face.

Then Sonny’s phone pinged. He looked at the text. They had run out of time. “Your car is waiting downstairs to take you to the preview.”

Rafael stood up. So did Sonny. 

“Let me think about it,” Rafael finally said. 

Sonny beamed. “Thank you.”

“I’d like some coffee when I get back,” he said, rounding his desk and making his way to the door. “Tell Olivia we can push the run-through to 3pm. And I hope we have new pieces from Michael Kors. If we don’t, deal with it.”

Sonny nodded, writing it all down quickly. “You have dinner with your mother tonight.”

Rafael grunted. “Reschedule.”

“That would be the third time in two weeks,” Sonny gave him a warning look. 

“Okay, then don’t,” Rafael sighed, then turned to him, his expression turning soft. “Good job.”

Rafael smiled at him, winked, and left. 

Sonny’s smile almost ripped his face in half.

* * *

Later that day, while Sonny waited for the book, Rafael texted him. He was out to dinner with his mother, but he asked Sonny to wait for him to come home. “Make yourself comfortable,” he said. “I’ll bring dessert.”

Sonny smiled at the text. He loved hanging out with Rafael at his apartment. However, he had never stayed the night, and he wouldn’t impose. So he counted his blessings. And Rafael asking him to wait for him was definitely a blessing. 

Even though he was a professional, it was hard to hold back. Rafael always looked amazing, his clothes always fit him like a dream, and he had all that confidence going for him. 

During run-throughs, Sonny couldn’t help but drool a little as he watched Rafael strut from one side of the room to the other, producing beautiful looks effortlessly, giving people orders, side-eyes, and complaining about people not being ready on time. Maybe he shouldn’t find it so attractive, but he did.

He was amazed by Rafael’s wit, his sharp tongue, and his ability to multitask so efficiently. Rafael was smart, and quick, solutions floating out of him like it was nothing. There were no problems when it came to Rafael, because the solutions were at the tip of his fingers, or tongue.

And Sonny was fascinated. He was addicted. He wanted to learn it all, he wanted to absorb everything Rafael shared. 

Sonny had it  _ bad _ . 

He was in love with the man, and he wasn’t sure where Rafael stood. But the invitation to wait for him sparked a little hope inside his chest. That maybe he wasn’t alone in his feelings.

When he got to Rafael’s place, he dropped the book on the coffee table and looked around, unsure what to do with himself.

He had been to Rafael’s apartment when he wasn’t there before, but this time he had an open invitation to make himself comfortable. So he started by removing his jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his button up shirt, also opening the first two buttons. 

He wasn’t wearing a tie, so he stopped there. He considered taking off his shoes, but that suddenly just seemed  _ too  _ comfortable and homey. 

Sonny walked into Rafael’s library, looking around for a moment. There were a lot of books, of many genres and a crazy variety of topics. Most of them were fashion and beauty, but he found some history books, a couple about psychiatry, modern art, and even a few law books. 

There was a section of fiction novels as well. Most of them were either fantasy or psychological thriller, but Sonny also spotted a few romance books. He smiled, picturing Rafael snuggled in bed with a cup of tea, reading cheesy love stories. 

Sonny knew Rafael had a softer side to him. He was kind, considerate, and even gentle. He got very touchy-feely when he was tired, and he was incredibly attentive. 

He was also a romantic.  

Rafael liked  _ setting the mood _ , so when they went into his library late at night, he’d dim the lights, put some music on and serve them both their favorite drinks - a beer for Sonny, a glass of whiskey for himself. 

Hell, he only kept his fridge stocked with beer because of Sonny. And that shouldn't give him a tingling feeling, but it did.

When Sonny cooked for him, he never sat across from him to eat. He’d sit on the chair closest to him, and he’d hook his foot around Sonny’s ankle. He listened closely as Sonny talked about his family, and he also thanked him profusely for their meal. 

But he hardly ever talked about his own family, and that shouldn’t bother Sonny as much as it did. Sonny knew his mother was difficult to deal with, she gave Rafael a hard time, and Sonny never dealt with her directly because apparently there was a way of working around Lucia Barba. And only Carmen seemed to know it.

Sonny asked about his father once, but Rafael changed the subject quickly, only providing short, evasive answers after that. Sonny knew better than to press it. 

Sonny was about to pull a book off the shelf to distract himself when he heard the door open. “Sonny?,” came Rafael’s voice. 

He grinned. “In here.”

He heard Rafael’s steps approaching and he waited, hands in his pockets, trying to look casual as he leaned against one of the shelves. 

When Rafael appeared at the door, Sonny couldn’t keep it up. He pushed off the shelf and walked towards him with an even bigger grin. “Hey, there,” Rafael greeted, smiling. “I brought dessert,” he said, showing off the bag in his hand. “You’ll have to eat most of it, but I think you’ll like it.” 

“Of course,” he laughed. “How was dinner?”

Rafael shrugged, pulling him closer by the hips. “You know, my mother complained a lot, I pretended to listen to some of it, the usual.” 

“What happens when you actually listen?,” Sonny asked tentatively. 

“I get a headache,” Rafael teased. But that was probably true. “But this dinner was particularly unbearable. Knowing you were here.”

Sonny blushed, and he couldn’t stop smiling. “Well, as much as I hate to think you left dinner with your mother earlier because of me, I am happy you’re home.”

Rafael brought a hand up to the back of Sonny’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss. A slow, but deep kiss. A kiss that told him Rafael had wanted to kiss him all day. So he made sure to show Rafael he felt the same way. 

Sonny hummed his approval when Rafael’s tongue brushed his, and then the kiss was broken. 

“Come on, let’s eat this by the fireplace,” Rafael suggested with a wicked smile.

It wasn’t cold enough to sit by the fireplace, but Sonny definitely was not about to say no to that, so he followed Rafael eagerly. 

“Would you like some wine or do you still prefer a beer?,” Rafael asked as they walked into the kitchen. 

“Uh, what kind of dessert did you bring?”

Rafael smirked and pulled a box out of the bag. He opened the lid and turned it to Sonny. “Shit,” he gasped. “Tiramisu? Raf, that’s my favorite.”

“I know,” Rafael grinned and pecked him on the lips. 

“Are you sure the dinner was bad?,” Sonny snorted. “You’re in a great mood.” 

Rafael shrugged. He opened a drawer and picked out two forks. “Wine?”

“Yeah, sure,” he nodded. 

Sonny watched attentively as Rafael retrieved two glasses from a cupboard and went to open a bottle of red wine. He looked relaxed. Happy. And Sonny looked at him with what he was sure were big heart-eyes. 

As Rafael handed Sonny his glass, he smiled softly at him. “I’m just happy you’re here, Sonny.” 

Sonny felt himself melting inside. Instead of replying, he laced his arm around Rafael’s waist, careful not to spill their drinks, and kissed him again. Rafael sighed contently, their chest pressed tightly together. 

“Thank you for inviting me,” Sonny said as he pulled away. 

“You’re always welcome,” he said, his eyes never leaving Sonny’s. He pecked his lips again, once, twice, three times, like he couldn’t help himself, but eventually pulled away. “Come on.”

Turns out Rafael’s fireplace was actually electronic, so he could easily control the heat with a remote. 

They ate their tiramisu snuggling on the couch, trading bites and kisses, the fake sound of cracking fire and the light of fake dancing flames enveloping them.

Sonny felt like his heart was doubling in size as he placed kisses on Rafael’s neck, the other man’s hand on his cheek.

“I wanted to talk to you about your pitch,” Rafael broke their comfortable silence. Sonny pulled away, surprised. 

“My pitch?,” he blinked. “I thought you said you’d think about it.”

“I did. Thinking about it was what kept me sane through dinner,” Rafael chuckled. 

Sonny narrowed his eyes. “Did you get me tiramisu because you’re about to shut down my idea?”

Rafael laughed. “Not entirely. Listen, as your -”, he paused. He looked up at Sonny, unsure. Then he shook his head. “I’m not being your boss when I say this: I’m proud of you for making that pitch. It was smart, coherent, insightful, and very surprising. I know you miss writing. And I’m sorry you don’t get to write being my assistant.”

Sonny blinked, caught off guard by Rafael’s candor. He smiled softly, reaching to touch Rafael’s jaw and pull him into a short, sweet kiss. 

When he pulled back, he squared up his shoulders. “But as my boss…?”

“As your boss, I can’t promise you we’ll run it. Not on the magazine. But we could try it for the website, maybe.”

Sonny sighed. “Maybe?”

“Yes, maybe. And not because I’m being difficult, but because we can’t just wing it,” Rafael told him in a tone similar to the one he talked to Runway editors. “So if you’re actually willing to make this happen, there’s some work to do before I approve it.”

“Okay,” Sonny nodded. “Hit me.”

“First of all, you need to go into our archive and go through everything we’ve run on drag queens, modern beauty trends and the Kardashians. Once you’re sure we’ve never published anything close to your pitch - and I mean it, Sonny, you have to be over 100% sure -, create a moodboard and run it over by Olivia, see what she says. If she thinks she can work with it, she’ll run it by the beauty editor and I’ll green light some test shots with Patrick. And we’ll see where we go from there.”

He blinked. “I feel like I should be writing this down.”

Rafael snorted. “Probably,” he joked. “Sonny, I’m not doing this because we’re… involved. It was actually an original pitch that deserves some looking into. So don’t get any ideas.”

Sonny laughed and pulled Rafael closer to him, his tone teasing as he said, “Ah, and here I thought you were going soft.”

“You wouldn’t like me as much if I did,” Rafael smirked. 

“If you still looked this good? I probably would,” Sonny said and went for another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the moment this story turns into an "idiots in love" rom-com. Thank you for the nice comments you've left here. 
> 
> I'm having a hard time wrapping up chapter 6, but it's almost done. Don't forget to let me know what you think of the first kiss and the drama involving Olivia. :D


	5. Paris Fashion Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Runway team flies to Paris for Fashion Week and Sonny is left handling phone calls and missing Rafael. But Sonny promised him a banquet, so he has a plan for when Rafael comes back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, unlike the movie I couldn't make Sonny steal Carmen's trip to Paris. She doesn't deserve that and Sonny would never. But I'd like to call this chapter "idiots in love" because distance sure does make the heart grow fonder.
> 
> Enjoy!

It came as no surprise to Sonny that staying in New York while half of Runway flew to Paris sucked. The office was annoyingly quiet. There wasn’t much to do without Rafael around making his crazy demands. Even the phone seemed to be unhelpfully silent.

Sonny spent most of Monday morning pouting in his desk. He missed Rafael. He missed the rush of people going in and out of his office. He missed his voice calling out Sonny’s name.

He wouldn’t even get to appreciate the stunning Armani suit Sonny was wearing.

So he sulked for a couple hours, then decided to put that free time to good use.

Sonny started by reading the last two issues of Runway twice, front to back. The last four months working there had changed him, and he actually enjoyed fashion now. He still didn’t know a lot about it, but Olivia said he developed an eye for it very fast, all things considered.

He actually got a thrill from trying new clothes. He liked putting looks together for himself. He felt more confident now that he was comfortable in his clothes and he _understood_ where designers were going with their collections.

Getting a new, fresh piece was exhilarating. And he loved hearing Olivia talk about the inspiration and all the references behind each one of them.

Next he decided to go through the archive like Rafael had advised him to. It was all stored in computers, so it was easy to access. All it took was a few keywords and he found all the articles that interested him.

Sonny read them carefully, but thankfully none of them came close to the idea he had pitched. He even searched a little deeper, even going into other different keywords, just to be _really_ sure.

Once he had looked through enough spreads, Sonny knew it was time to work on the moodboard. But he had never done it before. So he went into the newsroom to talk to reporters and sub-editors - because all editors were in Paris, of course - about how they did it.

A couple interns actually had pretty good input about how to make an impression with a moodboard. They showed him a few examples, and went over their presentations as if Sonny himself was an editor.

God, he loved this team.

So he worked on it for all of Tuesday and on Wednesday he presented it to the interns who had helped him. They had a few suggestions, and he tweaked it accordingly, but by Thursday afternoon he was done. And he was confident Olivia would like it.

On Thursday evening, however, he got a very puzzling phone call.

“Rafael Barba’s office,” he greeted.

“Sonny, it’s Carmen.”

“Carmen!,” Sonny grinned. “How’s Paris?”

“It’s been great,” she said in a rush. “Listen Sonny, I need you to talk to Casey from PR. There’s been an… altercation between Rafael and Trevor Langan and I’m sure at this point Trevor has already mouthed off to the press. I sent her an email with the specifics, but there’s only so much I can do being in another continent. See what she can do about damage control.”

“Hold on, hold on. An altercation? What do you mean? Is Rafael okay?”

“Yeah, he’s fine,” she sighed. “He’s just very upset.”

Sonny pinched the bridge of his nose. “What happened?”

“Trevor made an off-color joke and Rafael may or may not have punched him in the nose,” Carmen whispered.

“What?,” Sonny yelled. “What the hell, Carmen? Rafael lost his temper and _punched_ the guy over a joke? That can’t be the whole story.”

Carmen sighed deeply. “Listen, I shouldn’t tell you this. And please don’t call Rafael about it.”

“Fine, just tell me.”

“The joke was… about you.”

Sonny blinked. He leaned back into his chair, mouth agape. “What did he say?”

“Don’t make me repeat it,” Carmen begged. “Sonny, you know it’s not worth it. Trevor is a garbage bag, nothing he says holds any weight.”

“Carmen,” he said with a grave tone. “What did Trevor say?”

“Okay. I’ll tell you as your friend. So _promise me_ you’re not going to call Rafael as soon as I hang up,” she said gravely.

“I promise.”

Carmen cleared her throat. When she spoke, her voice was low and careful. “He said he couldn’t tell who was more desperate out of you and Rafael for you to be sleeping together. He asked if Rafael didn’t think he was a little too old for the “hot secretary slash boss” kink. But that at least you had… a nice ass and a pretty mouth.”

Sonny’s jaw had fallen to floor halfway through Carmen’s first sentence. Well, no wonder Rafael punched the guy. Sonny wanted to, too.

“I told you not to make me say it,” Carmen said, pained.

“I’m sorry, I just -,” Sonny shook his head. “That’s awful.”

“Yeah. I swear I’ve never seen Rafael this angry.”

“Is he okay?,” Sonny really wanted to call him.

“He’s better now. Not as angry. He’s got some ice on his hand,” she sighed. “He’s worried about what the press will say about it. He doesn’t want you involved. Which is why I didn’t mention the joke on the email to Casey and you shouldn’t either.”

“Fine. I’ll talk to her. I won’t mention the joke,” Sonny huffed. “And I’ll talk to the social media team to keep an eye on mentions of his name.”

“Good. Thank you. And I’m sorry, Sonny.”

“Make sure Rafael is taken care of,” he asked, then paused for a moment. “Carmen, could you tell him I miss him?”

Sonny couldn’t see it, but he was sure Carmen had that soft look in her eyes right about then. “Of course.”

“Thank you. And try to enjoy a little bit of Paris for me.”

“Oh, I will,” she giggled. “Hey Sonny, Rafael’s flight lands on Saturday evening and he’s got the rest of the weekend free.”

“Really?,” Sonny grinned. “Carmen, you’re a saint.”

“I know,” Carmen laughed. “Now get to work.”

“You bet. Bye, Carmen.”

“Bye!”

It took everything in Sonny not to call Rafael, but he knew better than to break his promise to Carmen. So instead he focused on the work.

He called Casey, Rafael’s press relations agent, and talked her through the whole incident, not mentioning the joke. She read Sonny what was on the email Carmen sent and asked him to let her know if anything popped up on social media.

Sonny instructed the social media team to watch Rafael’s mentions closely for any word of what happened. They successfully set up a filter for Rafael, Paris Fashion Week and Trevor Langan.

For a while, Sonny was worried. Was Trevor about to go to the press and tell everybody Rafael was in a relationship with his assistant?

But when a few hours passed and there was nothing online, the team was positive nothing was going to come up anymore. Casey even called to say the same, but that she was going to keep an eye out anyway.

Sonny sighed in relief. Another crisis averted? He felt like he deserved a drink.

The other bad thing about most of Runway being in Paris was that he didn’t have to deliver the book to Rafael’s apartment. So after his shift was over, he didn’t have much to do. And he missed Rafael even more.

He went with a couple friends for drinks the night before. It was fun, he didn’t get to see them a lot. But he still hated going back to his empty apartment afterwards.

He also visited his sister Bella on Tuesday night. Sonny got to play with his niece and Bella seemed really excited about Sonny being in a relationship again. He loved them, and he felt whole when he was around them. But still, he missed drinking and chatting with Rafael.

But on Friday night, he had a plan. He stopped by the grocery store and picked up enough stuff to feed an army. He took everything home and started on cooking prep. He was going to get most of it done that night, then on Saturday morning he’d make dessert and take everything to Rafael’s apartment to cook dinner for when he arrived.

After all, he did promise him a banquet.

* * *

Sonny was proud to say that the kitchen smelled amazing.

He hadn’t cooked in a very long time and he was so excited he just had to go all out. He even brought along his favorite dark green apron that had “I’m not yelling, I’m Italian” stitched on it in white. The cursive looked fancy, but it was silly. He thought Rafael would appreciate it.

He had the appetizers ready to go, the dessert was cooling in the fridge and the first and second courses were almost done when he heard the front door opening and Rafael’s voice carrying through the apartment.

“Here’s good,” he said, right before there was a dull thud of his luggage hitting the floor. “Thank you, Jonathan. Have a good weekend.”

“You too, Mr. Barba,” Rafael’s driver said in a cheery voice. “See you Monday.”

Sonny waited for the door to close again before he rounded the corner to look at Rafael. Unsurprisingly, he looked amazing, even in casual clothes. He was wearing what seemed to be a very comfortable light grey sweater over a dark blue button-up. He paired it with dark blue jeans and black loafers.

“Sonny?,” Rafael called when he spotted him. He looked surprised, but a smile broke out as he approached Sonny in quick strides. “I didn’t expect to see you until Monday. Did Carmen put you up to this?”

Rafael threw his arms over Sonny’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Sonny sighed contently, pulling him as close as he physically could.

“Uh, kinda,” he muttered into Rafael’s shoulder. “She told me you’d be free this weekend,” Sonny pulled back and looked at Rafael, suddenly feeling uncertain. “Is it okay? That I’m here?”

Rafael smiled softly at him. He brought a hand up to his cheek, his thumb stroking his cheekbone. “Of course it is. I missed you.”

Sonny felt his heart skip a beat. He leaned closer to Rafael and kissed him, warm and deep. “I missed you, too,” he whispered when they broke apart.

“Yeah? You’re telling me you didn’t enjoy a few days off of running errands and getting me coffee?”

“I didn’t, actually,” he shrugged. Then he remembered. “Hey, how’s your hand?”

Rafael pulled away from Sonny, hiding his hands behind his back like a petulant child. “It’s fine.”

“Let me see, Raf,” Sonny rolled his eyes, pulling at Rafael’s forearm.

When he finally brought his hand back around him, Sonny sighed sadly. Two of his knuckles were bruised and one had a small cut, which was mostly healed. “I told you, it’s fine.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Not anymore,” Rafael flexed his fingers. “I’m not sorry, you know? He deserved it.”

Sonny chuckled despite himself. “He did,” he pulled Rafael’s hand up to his lips and kissed each knuckle reverently. “But you shouldn’t have bothered.”

“It was overdue,” Rafael said, and there was something prideful about the way he lifted his chin. But then he caught whiff of something and inhaled deeply. His eyes brightened. “Are you cooking?”

“I am,” Sonny grinned, pointing at his apron. His grin widened when Rafael threw his head back and laughed at what it said. “I promised you a banquet.”

Rafael smiled, looking at him with adoring eyes. “Is it Italian food?”

“Was it the apron that tipped you off?,” Sonny snorted.

“No, it was the 6 foot tall gorgeous Italian man wearing it,” he winked.

Sonny pulled him closer again for another kiss, a hungrier one. One that left them both breathless when they pulled apart, Sonny’s cheeks pink, Rafael’s heart hammering.

“Are you hungry?,” Sonny breathed.

“Starving,” Rafael smirked.

Sonny took his hand, the one that wasn’t bruised, and lead him to the kitchen.

“Please, make yourself comfortable,” Sonny said as he served them both white wine to start.

He watched shamelessly as Rafael removed his sweater, undid the first two buttons of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. “Uh, Sonny,” Rafael called, pointing at the glass that was about to overflow because he had been paying attention to Rafael instead of the drink.

“Shit,” he pulled the bottle away. Rafael laughed.

“You should have hired a waiter,” he joked.

“First of all, that’s offensive,” Sonny shot him a glare as he split the liquid in the overflowing glass with the empty one. “Italians are amazing hosts. Second of all, it’s your fault anyway.”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t hire anyone,” he smirked as he accepted the glass Sonny offered him. “It’s always a pleasure seeing you flustered.”

Sonny blushed even though he shot Rafael an unamused glare.

“How was Paris?,” he asked as he busied himself on serving appetizers. He checked the pans on the stove and turned off all the burners, satisfied.

“It was impossibly busy. It’s not the same going for work as it is for vacation,” Rafael shrugged. “We barely get to see the city.”

“Well, were the runway shows worthy of missing out on it, then?”

“Some,” Rafael nodded. “Michael Kors lost it, by the way. Now I get why he hasn’t sent me any decent samples in a while.”

Sonny pulled a face. “That bad?”

“Appalling,” Rafael said dramatically. “But Burberry made up for it. Their new nature inspired collection is brilliant. They’ve got some stunning sky blue pieces that would suit you beautifully. I ordered you a couple and I can’t wait to see how it looks.”

Sonny stopped mid-stir. “You ordered me Burberry clothes? Off the runway?”

“I couldn’t _not_ do it,” he waved a hand as if it was nothing. “Olivia agreed they were made for you.”

“Raf,” he didn’t know if he was flattered, aroused or exasperated. Probably all three.

“If you don’t like it, we can return it,” Rafael smiled. “But at least give me a chance to see them on you.”

Sonny felt his heart do a flip inside a chest. He smiled shyly. “Okay, if that’s what you want. Now go into the dining room with your wine so I can serve the first course.”

“First course?,” he said appraisingly as he stood from the high stool by the kitchen island. “Oh, I’m ready.”

As they went through the first and second courses, Sonny listened closely as Rafael told him about Fashion Week. He had great backstage gossip and his comments about each collection left Sonny feeling wistful. And even though he said he didn’t get to see much of it, he knew Paris enough to tell Sonny about how much he loved being there.

“We have to go together soon,” he said as he took the last bite of his dessert, a perfect panna cotta made from scratch. Rafael hummed in appreciation. “Sonny, you outdid yourself. Dinner was amazing. I really appreciate it. Thank you for going through all this trouble.”

“Raf, it’s no trouble. I enjoy cooking for people I lo-,” he stopped. Rafael didn’t even blink. He watched Sonny patiently, his chin on one hand, the other one on Sonny’s forearm, caressing him with the tips of his fingers. “Rafael,” Sonny said, moving his arm to take Rafael’s hand. “I’m in love with you.”

Rafael’s eyes went from curious to soft in a second, a blinding smile spreading across his face. “Good,” he squeezed Sonny’s hand. “Took you long enough.”

Sonny was taken aback, his eyes widening. “Excuse me?”

Rafael leaned closer to him, taking both of Sonny’s hand into his. “Sonny, I’ve been in love with you since you walked into my office for the first time.”

“What?,” he gasped.

“Of course, it took me a while to realize it,” he snorted. “But it was, as they call it in the movies and romance novels, love at first sight.”

Sonny blinked. He felt like pushing the table away and pulling Rafael into his lap. “Are you serious?”

“I wouldn’t joke about this.”

“When did you realize it?,” Sonny asked, a smile slowly pulling at his lips.

Rafael squinted, as if trying to remember. “I think it was the first time you brought me Cuban coffee and cannoli.”

“Ah, my ma always did say that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach,” Sonny laughed.

Rafael laughed along with him, but shook his head. “No, that was when I _realized_ I was in love with you. I actually fell in love with you when you refused to leave my office after I dismissed you. When you stood there, looking as if you were about to fight me, telling me about your morals and work ethics.”

Sonny’s eyebrows shot up. “So the ugly clothes and awful hair didn’t put you off?”

“Surprisingly, no,” he shook his head. “Which was a red flag in itself.”

“And to think me putting in the effort was what did it,” Sonny sighed dramatically.

“Oh, don’t let it fool you. After your makeover it became impossible for me to resist you,” Rafael winked.

“So,” he started, trying to get even closer to Rafael, leaning over the corner of the table between them. “You love me,” he whispered.

Rafael grinned. “I do, Sonny. I love you.”

“I love you too, Raf,” Sonny said, kissing Rafael’s hands, and wrists, then pulling him closer for a quick kiss. “So can I call you my boyfriend?”

Rafael winced. “I think I’m too old for that. How about partner?”

Sonny frowned. “We’re not cops.”

“Sonny,” he gave him a warning look.

“I’ll call you my boyfriend, and you can call me your partner.”

Rafael sighed, then smiled. “Fine. I am robbing the cradle anyway.”

Sonny laughed. He had never been happier.

“Tell me something, Sonny,” Rafael said, running his fingers down his jaw. “Did you bring an overnight bag?”

Sonny froze. Because he did. He didn’t want to assume anything, but it was Saturday and they both had Sunday off. He had hoped that after a good dinner and dessert Rafael might invite him to stay the night. But he did not expect Rafael to be so upfront about it.

He should have known better.

“Yes,” he said in a low voice. “I didn’t mean to assume, but I -“

Rafael silenced him with a kiss. “I was thinking we could have a repeat of your delicious panna cotta,” he kissed Sonny again, sucking on his bottom lip for a second. “In bed.”

“I’m- uh, I think that’s a great idea,” he stuttered, nodding urgently.

“Good,” Rafael smiled mischievously. “I want you to stay the night, Sonny.”

“Sounds perfect.”

* * *

Waking up next to Rafael was the closest to a religious experience Sonny would ever get. And that was saying something, considering how he was brought up in such a Catholic household.

But looking at his _boyfriend_ laying on his stomach, hair falling on his forehead, his expression completely relaxed, Sonny felt like his heart was about to beat out of his chest.

He watched him with a soft smile.

Rafael’s hand was sprawled on Sonny’s chest, right where his heart was threatening to escape, his face turned towards Sonny. The sheets had slid down his back and rested at his hips. His tan skin was stunning, inviting, and Sonny resisted the urge to run his fingers from his shoulder blades to his ass.

He was incredibly fit. The results of months working out to get ready for Paris Fashion Week were clear. Rafael wasn’t overly muscular, but he was toned and firm where he needed to be, and soft where it mattered. His arms and thighs were strong, and Sonny loved feeling them around him. When Rafael shifted in his sleep, his toned back shifted along with him, and it was a vision.

Sonny held his breath as Rafael moved. He pulled the sheets back up, and slowly settled closer to Sonny, his hand moving down to his waist, pulling Sonny into him, his bicep flexing beautifully, as he rested his cheek on Sonny’s shoulder. He let out a relaxed breath and stilled again.

If Sonny moved just a tiny bit, he’d be able to kiss Rafael’s forehead. So he did, not making any sudden movements, breathing in the smell of Rafael’s shampoo. It was surprisingly flowery.

Sonny waited, quiet, unmoving. He kept breathing in Rafael’s scent, his eyes closed. The other man felt warm, comfortable, a very welcomed weight as he rested on Sonny. It was heaven.

Then he felt Rafael’s hand twitch. Slowly, it moved from Sonny’s waist to his stomach, his fingertips tracing it lightly, almost a ghost of a touch, but it made Sonny shiver anyway.

“Are you up?,” Sonny asked, his voice hoarse.

Rafael’s response was a low grunt and small kisses to Sonny’s shoulder.

Sonny laughed. “Good morning, Raf,” he said, kissing his forehead again. “Are you going to be mad if I say I like you without clothes just as much as I like you in them?”

“Yes,” he breathed, pitching Sonny in the ribs. He yelped.

“I’m sorry,” Sonny laughed. “You just look good like this, you know?”

Rafael hummed and pulled him closer, pressing his face into his neck. Sonny took the opportunity to run his hand down Rafael’s back like he wanted to before, feeling the muscles relaxing under his fingers.

“You smell so good,” Rafael murmured into his neck. Sonny chuckled.

“It’s Tom Ford,” he said cheekily.

Rafael pulled back to look at him, smirking. “Don’t start dirty talking me, I’m too sleepy.”

“I feel like I should be worried that saying another man’s name is dirty talk to you,” Sonny slid his hand all the way down to Rafael’s ass and squeezed it. “But knowing you, I won’t be.”

“That’s because you haven’t met Tom,” Rafael joked, but groaned when Sonny squeezed his ass again. “Possessive, are we?”

Sonny didn’t reply, choosing to show Rafael how possessive he _could_ be by claiming his lips in a deep kiss. When Sonny pulled back, Rafael looked dazed.

“I’m gonna make us breakfast,” Sonny said, and pecked Rafael’s lips two more times before trying to get up. His boyfriend only held him tighter. “Come on, Raf. I won’t take long.”

“No,” he huffed, pressing his face into Sonny’s neck again.

“Rafael Barba, clingy?,” Sonny teased. “Who would have thought? I hope the press doesn’t get wind of this. Imagine the scandal.”

“Get out of my house,” Rafael said, but with no heat to it. He also didn’t let go of Sonny.

“You’re kinda sending mixed signals here, Raf,” he giggled and tried to get up again. “I won’t take long. Do you have a tray? I’ll bring everything to bed.”

Rafael grunted and rolled away. “You’re so annoying.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I’m such a caring boyfriend who wants to make you breakfast,” he said dramatically, pulling the covers away. “I’ll call Tom Ford for you, maybe he can just lay here forever until you starve to death.”

Rafael watched him attentively as Sonny got out of bed completely naked, looking for his sweatpants, while being extremely theatric on his feigned jealousy.

“I’ll bet you he wouldn’t call me his _boyfriend_ ,” Rafael teased, rolling his eyes playfully.

“I’m not talking to you about him anymore,” Sonny pulled up his pants, rounded the bed to Rafael’s side and kissed him quickly. “Now, stay put. I’ll be right back.”

“Be quick,” he said, watching Sonny as he left the room.

Sonny wasn’t planning on making a grand breakfast. Pancakes and croissants could be for another day. Today, he made some toast, scrambled some eggs, cut up some fruit, and made coffee. He found a tray on the cupboard above the fridge and organized everything nicely on it. It smelled good, and Sonny’s mouth was watering as the smell of fresh coffee filled his nostrils.

He carefully picked up the tray and made his way to the bedroom, but froze when he saw that Rafael was actually standing by the front door, dressed in a burgundy robe, pulling something out of his luggage.

“Rafael, what are you doing? I was bringing this to you,” he said, annoyed that the idea of breakfast in bed was ruined by Rafael not being, well, in bed.

And he seemed to catch up with Sonny’s train of thought and chuckled. “I’ll be right there. I just remembered I got you some gifts.”

“Gifts? Plural?,” Sonny frowned. “Was the Burberry collection not enough?”

Rafael looked at him as if he had grown an extra head. “No.”

Sonny snorted. “Fine. I’ll be waiting for you. Don’t take too long, I have fresh coffee.”

“Oh Sonny, you know just what to say,” he hummed.

Sonny made his way back into the bedroom and set the tray on the bed, sipping his coffee as he waited for Rafael to come back into the room. He smiled despite himself at the idea of his boyfriend buying him gifts while he was in Paris. The Burberry collection kind of made sense, he was there to see it anyway, but the idea of Rafael going into stores and buying him gifts made him feel more appreciated than he expected.

And even more so when Rafael walked in holding two bags and three boxes. “What the hell, Raf?”

“You’re probably the only person I’ve ever met who’s annoyed by the idea of getting gifts,” Rafael smirked.

It wasn’t the gifts. It’s just that Sonny wasn’t used to being spoiled. At all. Having three sisters, he was more used to having to share everything, even birthday parties, because their parents had to make ends meet and having four separate parties just didn’t cut it.

When he told Rafael that, his cheeks burning in embarrassment, the other man looked at him with a soft expression, setting all the packages by the breakfast tray and approaching Sonny in quick steps.

Rafael ran his fingers along Sonny’s jaw and kissed him lightly, pressing their lips together delicately. “Well, let me spoil you, then.”

Sonny eyed the gifts. “I think you already did,” he chuckled and kissed Rafael one more time before taking his hand and leading him back to the bed.

“I mean, this is perfect,” Rafael said, kicking off his slippers and climbing next to Sonny. “You spoil me with incredible home cooked meals, which I never have enough of, and I can spoil you with gifts.”

Sonny smiled. “It is perfect,” he nodded, but eyed the boxes again. “But you don’t have to go overboard, though.”

“You wanna talk about overboard?,” Rafael raised an eyebrow at him and reached for his coffee, then pointed at the tray. “ _This_ was unnecessary. And dinner last night.”

“Well, let me spoil you, Raf,” he laughed when Rafael reached from a pillow and threw it at him. “Don’t get coffee on the sheets!”

“Shut up,” he grunted and reached for the smaller box on top of the pile. “This looks like an engagement ring box, but don’t get too excited. It’s not,” Rafael gave him a long look and grinned. “Yet.”

Sonny’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the box longily. It was too soon, though. They had time.

So he shook himself off and opened the box to find a pair of beautiful gold cufflinks with green stones. But they weren’t any random shade of green. He looked up at Rafael in disbelief. “These stones are chartreuse green.”

Rafael gave him a self-satisfied grin around his bite of toast. Sonny would have tackled him into bed and kissed him until next week if it weren’t for the cup in his hand and mouth full of food.

“You’re such a romantic,” he teased, and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. I love them. I’ll wear it tomorrow.”

Sonny looked at the cufflinks again, reminded of the “that sweater is chartreuse” speech. “Wait a minute,” he said, looking at Rafael suspiciously. “You said you fell in love with me the day we met,” Rafael nodded, happily sipping his coffee. “So you’re telling me that through that whole speech about chartreuse you were in love with me?”

Rafael swallowed and laughed lightly. “Yes. Which was why I was so soft on you.”

“Soft?,” Sonny narrowed his eyes.

“Of course. I should have fired you,” he shrugged.

Sonny gasped. “You wouldn’t.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Rafael waved a hand dismissively and picked up a piece of watermelon. “I saw the potential in you. And so did Olivia, by the way.”

Sonny rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance. “Just how much do you and Olivia talk about me?”

“She’s my closest friend. That includes hearing about my love life,” he said as if it was obvious. “Besides, Sonny, I’m sure by now you know that speech was very much needed.”

Sonny sighed and looked down at the box again. “Yeah, I know. I didn’t value your work as I should. I would have preferred to not have my ass handed to me in front of all Runway editors, but I guess I deserved it,” he nodded. But then he remembered something else. “The one about your trip to Miami, though. I still think that was unfair.”

Rafael blinked at him, surprised by the memory. “Okay, I can agree with that. I was frustrated because I actually did want to be there for _mami_ , but then I had to listen to her complaints and her guilt tripping,” he rolled his eyes. “And I was frustrated because of the way I felt about you as well. I took it out on you. I apologize.”

“It’s fine,” he waved it off and smiled. “At least Olivia knew just what to say.”

“I still haven’t thanked her enough for it,” Rafael teased, then picked up another box, a bigger one. “This one you can see what it is.”

“Ah, chocolate!,” Sonny beamed like a child on Christmas morning. “Perfect for after breakfast.”

“You’re crazy if you think I’m going to have chocolate at 9am,” Rafael looked at him as if he was actually crazy and, to make a point, picked up another piece of fruit.

“Come on, Rafael,” Sonny opened the box excitedly. “Paris is behind us now, you get to indulge a little.”

“At least eat something before,” he pushed the tray closer to him. “You’re not _that_ young.”

“Yeah, I am,” he giggled and stuffed his mouth with two truffles at once, then leaned in and pecked Rafael on the lips. “Thank you.”

“You’re lucky you’re nice to look at,” Rafael said and pulled the last box. “This is a personal favorite.”

The amount of gifts was still excessive, in Sonny’s eyes, but he couldn’t help his excitement at seeing the things Rafael picked out for him. The third box contained a beautiful blue Calvin Klein slim tie, because every time Sonny wore blue, it turned Rafael into mush.

Next came a Burberry bag and Sonny was surprised to find the classic Burberry scarf, in its beautiful caramel color. “I know you have the one in blue, but it’s always good to go with the classic as well,” Rafael told him, and turned it around to show him it was embroidered. “Besides, the embroidery is an exclusive.”

It read “SC” in black lines and a beautiful cursive writing Sonny would recognize anywhere. “This is your handwriting.”

“It is,” Rafael smiled. “Your initials, but with my handwriting.”

Once again, Sonny wanted to tackle him. “Thank you,” he said softly.

“You have one more to go,” he said, and handed him the bigger bag. “I had to pull some strings to get them to alter the motifs, but it was worth it.”

Sonny raised an eyebrow at him then checked the Gucci logo on the bag. Rafael really would be the one to have leverage on Gucci. So smiling, he pulled out a messenger bag. It was gorgeous in itself. All black, sharp lines, beautiful stitching, the classic red and navy striped strap.

But it were the motifs that mattered apparently, so Sonny paid close attention to those. It had the classic Gucci Angry Cat, the classic snake, and a vintage Gucci logo. But on the bottom left, there was an unique motif Sonny had never seen the brand do before.

And he probably never would see again.

Because it read “RB” in dark green, a heart in the classic black and grey Gucci canvas, and “SC” in dark blue. It should be tacky, but it was actually incredibly stylish and went with the bag perfectly. It didn’t even look like it had been altered especially for him. But it had. And it set Sonny’s heart on fire.

“Do you like it?,” Rafael smirked, knowing full well by the look on Sonny’s face that he loved it. “I’m afraid they won’t take a return for this one.”

Sonny blinked, still looking at the bag with wide eyes. It was a beautiful bag, but Sonny particularly loved the thought of Rafael going out of his way to make it say “RB hearts SC”.

Quietly, Sonny stood up. Rafael watched him, still smirking, as Sonny removed the coffee cup from his hand, set it back in the tray, put the tray on the floor, and took all his gifts and packaging off the bed to finally tackle Rafael into it.

For the rest of the morning, Sonny made sure to show Rafael how thankful he was for his thoughtful, attentive boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're at almost 100 kudos and 700 views! Thank you all so much. Please, if you like this story, share it with your friends, on twitter, on tumblr, in any way you can. 
> 
> I finished writing the epilogue yesterday, so we have over 35k words of pure Barisi content. Thank you for everyone who has supported this AU so far! But please, don't leave me stranded now that we're close to the end! The more kudos and comments, the sooner the next chapters will be up, I promise. <3


	6. Goodbyes and Hellos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some major decisions are made and, as Christmas approaches, the loving spirit brings Lucia Barba into Sonny's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the longest I've written and I thought about splitting it in two, but you all deserve better than that. So here you go: 7k words of a little bit of drama, and a lot of love.
> 
> This is kind of the last chapter, because the next one is an epilogue. So enjoy as things are getting wrapped up! And thank you for getting this to over 100 kudos, it means a lot :)

Sonny was glad everything went back to normal after the team returned from Paris. Carmen was full of stories, and she brought Sonny a cute miniature of the Eiffel Tower that he proudly set next to his computer.

Olivia came back with the decision not to leave American Runway, fuelled by Trevor Langan’s distasteful comments, and gifted him a beautiful Armani watch. She also made sure to tell him Rafael was right, the Burberry collection would suit him wonderfully, and that the pieces should be there by the end of the week. 

“You better put on a show for us,” she teased, winking at him. 

Sonny also proudly showed her his moodboard. The presentation went well, and Olivia seemed genuinely excited about the idea. She promised to run it by Elana Barth, the beauty editor.

Everything was going smoothly, and Rafael even seemed to be in a better mood lately. Sonny noticed he had started taking deep breaths during stressful situations, taking a moment to himself instead of just instantly biting everyone’s head off. Granted, he still did that, but less often. And with less drama. 

However, Sonny saw it come back in full force when none other than Trevor Langan decided to walk into the Runway office like he owned the place.  When he walked in, he paid Sonny no mind, and went straight to Carmen’s desk, his tone unpleasant. He hadn’t even tried to schedule an appointment and demanded to talk to Olivia and Rafael immediately.

“Mr. Langan, I’m sorry, but Rafael is not available right now,” she told him. “If you’d like to schedu-”

“I don’t care,” Trevor barked. “Get him and Benson here right now. I’m not kidding. This is an urgent matter.”

As the amazing assistant she was, Carmen was adamant that it wouldn’t be possible for Trevor to talk to either of them, even though both Olivia and Rafael were in the building. Sonny felt inclined to call security when he barked at Carmen for the third time, but she looked at him over Trevor’s shoulder and discreetly shook her head. The press would have a field day if they heard about Trevor Langan being kicked out of Elias-Clarke publications.

Sonny was about to step in and tell Trevor to calm down when he spotted Rafael and Olivia coming down the hall. They were talking fast to each other, their eyes on printed pages in their hands. They didn’t look up even as they walked through the glass doors, but of course Trevor saw them.

“Ah, here they are,” he said with a grimace. “The king and queen of Runway.”

“What the hell are you doing here, Langan?,” Rafael asked through gritted teeth, his face contorting in what could only be described as pure rage. “Carmen, call security and have him escorted out immediately.”

“Oh, that’s just going to go over great,” Trevor said with a forced smile. “Can’t wait to read the papers tomorrow.”

“Trevor, why are you here?,” Olivia’s tone was cutting, but she didn’t look as angry as Rafael. She jjust seemed tired.

“You know why I’m here. You turned down the editor position.”

“Yes, I did,” Olivia said nonchalantly, crossing her arms over her chest. “And I made sure to tell the board I wouldn’t take it because you’re a disgraceful, vile little man.”

Trevor looked as if he was about to explode. He watched Olivia with his eyes narrowed. “Well, they told me they wouldn’t give  _ me _ the executive director job unless I convinced you to take what they offered you.”

Olivia threw her head back and laughed out loud. That seemed to infuriate Trevor even more.

“And you think showing up unannounced in my office is going to buy you any points?,” Rafael challenged, then turned to Carmen. “Has he been rude to you?”

He already knew the answer, of course, but when Carmen nodded minutely, Rafael zeroed in on Trevor’s face in the blink of an eye. Sonny took a step further, wanting to put himself in between them, but Olivia grabbed his arm. 

“Get out,” Rafael snarled. “I don’t have time for you.”

“I came to apologize,” Trevor bit back, and he looked pained to say it.

“Please,” Rafael scoffed. “You came to try to salvage your job. Have you ever heard of  _ facing the consequences to your actions _ , Langan? Because you’re about to.”

“This isn’t about you,” he stepped away from Rafael and turned to Olivia. “I’m sorry.”

She snorted. “For what?”

“For being rude to you.”

“Not good enough,” Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. “I want you to apologize to Carmen for being rude, to Sonny for the crude comments you made about him, and to Rafael for saying those things  _ and _ for hurting his hand.”

Trevor was appalled. “For hurting his hand?,” he shook his head. “He punched me!”

“What? You want me to make you thank him as well?,” Olivia smiled, a sweet smile that told Trevor he needed to suck it up and do as he was told.

Trevor sighed exasperatedly, running a hand across his face. “Fine. Carmen, I’m sorry for having no manners. Sonny, I’m sorry for making inappropriate comments about you. Rafael, I’m sorry about what I said about your relationship and I’m sorry you hurt your hand when you punched me. There. Happy?,” he turned to Olivia again, not sounding sorry at all.

“Not in the slightest,” Olivia shook her head. “You can go.”

“What? Are you going to take the job?”

She shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”

Trevor smiled, self-satisfied. “Good. Can you call the board and tell them that?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks,” he patted her shoulder and walked towards the door, turning one last time to say, “I can’t wait to boss you all around.”

When he left, Rafael let out a loud groan. “Are you really going to work with this ignorant piece of white trash?”

“Absolutely not,” she said with a sigh. “I just wanted him to leave. I still won’t take the job if he’s there, Rafael. I refuse to work under him.”

Rafael nodded, then walked towards his office. “Okay, let me make some calls, then. Maybe you can still keep your promotion.”

Sonny frowned. He was confused. Was Rafael trying to get Olivia to leave? He made a point to ask Rafael what exactly his intentions were when they met for dinner later.

“Olivia deserves to make editor in chief, Sonny,” Rafael told him, his voice firm. “And unless you want her to take my job, she can’t get there at American Runway. Besides, it’ll be good for Runway as a brand to have a good relationship between two of its branches, especially considering how strained our communication with Runway UK is.” 

“But what if they bring in an awful replacement? I don’t think it’ll do Runway any good if you go to jail for murder.”

Rafael snorted and waved him off. “I would never. Orange isn’t my color anyway,” he winked. Rafael paused for a moment, rotating his glass of wine in his hand with his fingertips, watching the liquid move around. “And Rita Calhoun is supposed to be taking Olivia’s position.” 

Sonny blinked. He didn’t know exactly what Rita did for a living, but he did know every designer had her phone number on speed dial. 

He frowned. “Well, at least I’m sure you’re happy about  _ that _ .”

Rafael tilted his head, looking at him curiously. He reached for Sonny’s hand over the table and intertwined their fingers. “Sonny, I’m touched you’re loyal to Liv, but honestly, this is a good thing. French Runway is going through a few major changes. Necessary changes. And Olivia is going to be in the forefront of that.”

It was a great promotion. One well deserved. But Sonny wasn’t the greatest at letting go of his team members. “I know, but aren’t a little sad?”

He smiled softly. “I am very sad. Olivia is my closest friend. And she is not only leaving American Runway, she’s leaving America altogether. I’m going to miss her terribly. But now we have one more reason to visit Paris.”

Sonny sighed, then nodded. “Yeah, I get it. And I guess I’ll get to finally meet Rita.”

Rafael groaned, rolling his eyes. “She’s been dying to meet you for ages, so don’t be scared when she throws herself at you.”

Sonny had the pleasure of meeting Rita Calhoun the following week.

Rafael told him he pulled some strings and Trevor Langan would not be getting the job as executive director for French Runway, so Olivia could take the position as editor in chief without that weight on her shoulders. 

Nevertheless, Olivia still wasn’t sure about leaving America, but while she figured herself out, Rafael invited Rita over to get a feel for the job.

Sonny knew she was coming. Rafael had warned him about how intense Rita could be. That made Sonny a little weary because for  _ Rafael  _ to call someone intense, it was probably too much. 

But from their brief phone calls, Sonny liked her. And it was because of those interactions that he recognized the woman by her voice as soon as she walked into the main office. 

“Dominick,” she greeted. Sonny smiled, standing up to take her coat. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” 

“Please, call me Sonny! The pleasure is all mine,” he offered her a hand to shake. “Rafael has told me so much about you.”

“Don’t believe anything he says,” she winked. Rita was a very attractive woman, tall, amazingly dressed, long, dark brown hair styled in half-up do. She looked like she knew exactly how powerful she was. “You know, when Rafael told me about you, I didn’t know what to expect.” 

Sonny blushed slightly. “Well, that’s good, right?! No expectations, no disappointments.” 

Rita smirked, humming in agreement. She seemed to be trying to read him, and it made Sonny a little bit nervous. “Oh, I’m not at all disappointed.”

She opened her mouth to say something else, but stopped herself when something on Sonny’s desk caught her attention. Sonny followed her gaze to find his moodboard leaning proudly against the wall. 

In the midst of the situation with Langan, his pitch was a little forgotten. He didn’t blame Olivia, she had some major decisions to make, but he kept it accessible in case she decided to go back to it. Plus, Sonny liked how colorful it was, so he placed it where he could see it. 

“What’s that?,” Rita asked, her eyes narrowing as she rounded Sonny’s desk to study the moodboard from up close. 

“Uh,” Sonny stuttered. “I’ve been trying to pitch an idea to Rafael and Olivia, but now might not be the time.”

“Talk me through it,” she demanded. So Sonny did.

He presented the ideas the way he had practiced it, selling it as well as he could. Rita seemed to pay him close attention, nodding along as he waved his hands around wildly, in big dramatic gestures, pointing at the pictures he had added as examples. 

“So Rafael thinks we could do it for the website, but Olivia hasn’t talked to the beauty editor yet,” he concluded. 

Rita shook her head, picked up the moodboard and marched into Rafael’s office like it was her own office. “We’re running this on the magazine. January issue,” she told Rafael, dropping the board on his desk.

Rafael looked up, unimpressed, with a tight smile. “Hello, Rita. It’s always great seeing you.” 

“Cut the crap, Rafael. Why are you pushing this to the website? This is extremely marketable,” she asked with a tone that told Rafael he was an idiot. “Drag queens are everywhere now. Movies, TV, iTunes charts, and even Broadway.” 

Rafael rolled his eyes. “It’s popular amongst the youngest crowd, which is why I wanted it for the website.” 

“Like Beyoncé is not popular with younger people so you put her on your cover?,” Rita accused, raising an eyebrow. “Please, Rafael. Be honest. This would be a good spread for the magazine. And we could still get the most popular RuPaul’s Drag Race queens for social media content.” 

Rafael was silent, looking between Rita and the board with a slight grimace. Sonny knew he didn’t want to agree with her, but he hoped he’d give in eventually. 

“You’re hesitating because it was Sonny's idea,” Rita said, her tone sharp as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re an idiot.”

Sonny felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Eyes wide, he watched Rafael’s reaction. He looked as if he was about to tell Rita to leave his office, but then he sighed slowly.

That wasn’t good. That meant Rita was right. That meant Rafael purposely undermined his idea. And suddenly Sonny was reminded of what Trevor Langan had told him. About how Rafael didn’t want anyone else to succeed.

Sonny shook himself. That wasn’t true. He saw what Rafael was doing for Olivia, supporting her while she tried to make a potentially life-changing decision, even if it meant Runway would lose her. 

“You’re right,” Rafael said. Sonny was stunned. “I didn’t want it to look as if I was giving you privileged treatment, Sonny.”

Sonny was disappointed. He had worked hard on that pitch, and he thought Rafael saw the potential in it, which was why he said they could work it in for the website. But the fact that Rafael knew it could be more and decided to undersell it hurt. 

“Well, now that the truth is out, I’ll start making some calls,” Rita said. “Sonny, get this to Patrick. Explain it to him the way you just did to me. Let’s start with some test shots.”

“Rita, you don’t work here,” Rafael pointed out with a tired expression.

She gave him a small smirk. One that told him she knew something he didn’t. Sonny could see why Rafael said Rita was intense. She was demanding, smart, cutthroat, and she seemed to like having the upper hand. Much like Rafael himself. “I will, very soon. So why not get started right now?”

Rafael shot Rita an unamused look, then turned to Sonny. He looked apologetic when he picked up the board and handed it back to him. “We’ll start with the test shots and go from there. Are you okay with this? Even if you don’t get to do the interviews?”

Sonny nodded. “Yeah. Fine.” 

“We will talk about this later,” he said, his tone firm. “That’s all.”

Sonny wanted to talk about it  _ now. _ He wanted Rafael to explain to him why he was about to brush off something that, according to Rita, was extremely marketable. He didn’t want it to look like he was giving Sonny privileged treatment by underestimating a pitch?

Rafael always wanted more from everyone at Runway. If an idea was half-assed, he told them to come back later with something more solid, if a shoot didn’t meet his expectations, he threw it all out and told Patrick to do it again. Whatever anyone, expect Olivia, ever brought him was never good enough, could ever be worked on harder, more sources, more pictures, more options, more samples. More, more, more.

So why would he want Sonny’s idea to be less? Why limit it to the website when they could have an exclusive for the magazine? 

But he couldn’t expect Rafael to ask Carmen to hold his calls and have a heart to heart in the middle of a work day, so he nodded at him and Rita, turned and left the office. He sat back on his desk with a huff, board in his hand, a million questions in his mind, crestfallen.

* * *

 

That night, as he walked into Rafael’s apartment with the book, he wasn’t excited like he normally was. He was still upset and disappointed, but mostly he was afraid of what the evening was going to bring. He was afraid of having his heart broken. 

But he swallowed that fear and walked in. As soon as he opened the door he noticed two things. First, there was music playing. Normally, Rafael would wait for him to come so they could agree on the music before he played it. But he smiled at the sound, because it was one of his favorites. Train’s Drops of Jupiter. A song he couldn’t help but sing along.

Sonny remembered the night he told Rafael this was his favorite song. It was about two weeks after he broke up with Arielle. They were sitting on the couch in Rafael’s library, each with a drink in hand, while Rafael told him about the time he almost got punched in the face while trying to get a quote out of a source. 

The playlist shuffled and as soon as the melody reached his ears, he smiled. Rafael stopped talking, looking at him curiously. 

“I love this song,” he said, a bit sheepishly. “I haven’t heard it in a long time. I played it so much when it first came out, Arielle banned it.” 

Rafael nodded along to the melody, paying close attention to it as Sonny tapped his knee with the beat. He couldn’t help mouthing along to the lyrics, amazed that he still remembered every word of it. 

Taking him by surprise, Rafael stood up, setting his glass on the table. He offered Sonny a hand, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I like it.” 

Sonny laughed, accepting Rafael’s hand and letting him remove the beer bottle from his hand. When Rafael turned back, he pulled Sonny closer to him, his hands on his hips, and slowly, they started swaying together to the song. 

By the time the chorus played for the second time, Sonny was done holding back. He was singing now, word by word, his head thrown back, his eyes closed as Rafael held him. He ran his hands up Rafael’s arms, resting them on his shoulders. 

“ _ Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star? _ ,” he sang. “ _ One without a permanent scar, and did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there? _ ”

When the song came to an end, Sonny had a beaming smile on his face. It took everything in him not to kiss Rafael that night. Especially when he opened his eyes and saw the way Rafael was looking at him. 

So as he stepped into the apartment, he couldn’t help but smile at the song and at the memory. 

The second thing he noticed was the smell that drifted from the kitchen to the front door. He could recognize that scent in his sleep. Someone was making carbonara sauce. 

He walked all the way down the hall, setting the book on the table like he always did, then went into the kitchen. To his surprise, Rafael was the one standing by the stove. There was a laptop open on the kitchen counter, a cooking video playing. Sonny couldn’t help but chuckle as Rafael intensely watched the woman on the screen go through the recipe.

“Hey,” Rafael turned at the noise. Sonny caught sight of his apron then, and burst out laughing. Rafael smiled at him. “It was the only one I could find on short notice.”

It was a simple white apron with a tacky print that read “WARNING: Cuban with an attitude” in red and black. 

“I mean, it suits you,” Sonny shrugged. “Is this your way of saying sorry?”

Rafael’s smile fell a little. “Yes. Because I am sorry, Sonny. I am.” 

Sonny sighed and walked up to him, checking the pans he had on. “I believe you,” he looked at Rafael. “But why?”

“I’ll explain everything,” he promised. “But let me finish this first. There’s wine airing on the island. Serve yourself a glass and wait for me in the living room, please? It’s almost done."

“Sure,” Sonny nodded. He was about to turn and do just that, but he paused, kissing Rafael instead. It was quick, but soft. He smiled when Rafael opened his eyes. “It smells good. And thank you for the song.”

“It’s on replay, so it won’t stop playing for the rest of the night,” he chuckled. 

“Perfect,” Sonny kissed him again, because he couldn’t help it, then went to make himself comfortable in the living room.

He almost forgot he was upset. The love he felt for Rafael was so much, just seeing him being so apologetic made any other emotion go away. But he still wanted an explanation.

Sonny took a glass of wine into the room and started his normal ritual of undressing. He took his shoes off, his jacket, tie, and vest. He also opened his button up all the way down, but left it on. It was a gorgeous dark navy polka dot, and he had a light blue undershirt on, so it matched nicely. 

Rafael’s couch was one of the most comfortable things Sonny had ever sat on, so he lay there quietly, his long legs taking most of the space, as he waited for Rafael. 

Not too long after, he came in with a tray that had two plates, another glass of wine and the bottle. 

“Here you go,” he handed Sonny his plate and watched him expectantly. “Let me know what you think.”

Sonny knew Rafael hardly ever cooked, although he had put in the effort for his mother before. So he wasn’t the most confident when it came to it, but he was still Rafael Barba, and he was, quite literally, amazing at anything he put his mind to. So Sonny wasn’t surprised when he took the first bite of his carbonara and almost moaned out loud.

“Raf, this is really good,” he said reverently. “Like, really amazing. Thank you.”

Rafael preened, smiling as he picked up his own plate. But he turned to Sonny with a serious expression before even taking his first bite. “Sonny, I’m sorry. I don’t want you to think this had anything to do with you as a journalist, because it really didn’t. I told you before that the pitch was great, and it was.”

Sonny nodded as Rafael spoke. “Yeah, I know. So what was it then?”

“I’m not going to lie to you. I didn’t want to give anyone the idea that I approved of your pitch because we’re dating,” he sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I thought that when my first reaction to your idea was ‘let’s get this in the magazine’, it came from my bias towards you.”

Sonny looked up, surprised, his fork halfway to his mouth. “Wait, what?”

“I know it makes no sense,” Rafael rolled his eyes. “But I thought it was an emotional reaction. I was so proud of you for the pitch, and I was so happy that you wanted your work to be on Runway, that when my gut told me it was worth a whole spread I thought it was my heart speaking, not Runway’s editor.”

“Holy shit, Rafael,” Sonny shook his head. “I was worried we were going to have a fight or something. I didn’t expect you to make me fall more in love with you.”

Rafael waved him off. “You’re crazy. I messed up. You have every right to be mad at me.”

“I’m not,” he shook his head, setting his plate back on the tray and reaching for Rafael’s hands. “I was disappointed, and a little upset, but I understand. Our relationship is new, and at first I wasn’t even sure how to be around you at work. We have some things to learn.”

“That’s an understatement,” he sighed. “Sonny, can you forgive me?”

Sonny looked at him with soft eyes, his heart doubling in size for the ridiculous, incredible man in front of him. “I forgive you. And thank you for listening to Rita and getting your head out of your ass.”

Rafael grunted. “I can’t believe her sometimes, but she is great at what she does.”

“I’ve gathered as much,” he snorted. “But so are you. And you’re telling me Runway’s legendary editor in chief looked at my presentation and had a gut feeling it was worth a whole spread? Now,  _ that’s _ a great ego boost.”

Rafael laughed. “You’re impossible,” he placed a hand on Sonny’s cheeks and leaned closer. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Sonny melted, leaning into Rafael’s touch.

* * *

 

Olivia made her decision a couple days later. She was going to take the position as French Runway’s editor in chief. She sounded happy when she announced it, and everyone in the room cheered, but Sonny couldn’t help the sting he felt in his chest looking at Rafael. He had a sweet smile on his face as he lifted his champagne glass to toast his friend, but his free hand clenched in a fist at his side. 

Rafael was happy for her, but he told Sonny he hated the fact that she had to leave. Well, Sonny seconded that sentiment. He definitely had to hold back a few tears during Olivia’s speech. 

But later, when she pulled him to the side and hugged him, he couldn’t hold it together. “I’m gonna miss you,” he said, sniffing. 

“I’ll miss you too, Sonny,” she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “But I just wanted to say that I’m proud of you. You’ve come a long way since your first day here. I’m glad you’re part of this team.”

“Thank you for all your help, Liv,” he blinked, and a couple more tears ran down his face. “And I wish you the best of luck on your new adventure.”

Olivia chuckled wetly, reaching up with her free hand to wipe away his tears. “I’m happy for you and Rafael as well. I have never seen him happier. And I’ve known him for 15 years.”

“Well, he makes me very happy. I’m lucky to have him,” Sonny smiled. “I hope you’re happy too, Liv.”

“I am,” Olivia nodded, a sweet smile tugging at her lips.

Olivia left the team one week later and, the following morning, Rita was officially Runway’s new creative director. 

Rafael’s reaction to Rita’s arrival was the opposite to Olivia’s departure. He made sure to sneer and grimace at her as she introduced herself to the Runway team, but his shoulders were completely relaxed, no actual malice behind his expression, and, when Rita wasn’t looking, he smiled. 

“You’re happy,” Sonny teased, nudging Rafael with his elbow. “She’s a good addition to Runway.”

“You’re only saying that because she likes you,” he rolled his eyes. “She’s adequate.”

“Come on, Rafael, don’t be difficult.”

“I’m not,” he huffed and turned away, going back into his office with his chin pointing up. Sonny laughed. 

Rita did like Sonny, but that didn’t mean she didn’t push him when she needed something. Day by day, he saw Rita more like herself and less like a female version of Rafael, but, still, the similarities were daunting.

“Dominick,” Rafael called, two weeks after Rita’s welcome lunch.

Like he always did, Sonny jumped up, pen and pad in hand, and walked quickly into Rafael’s office. He was standing by his desk, hands on his hips, looking down at a few pictures that had arrived for him earlier that day. Sonny was struck by how gorgeous he was. As always. 

“Yes?,” Sonny smiled, and sat down when Rafael motioned for him to do so.

“Rita just sent the test shots Patrick ran for the  _ queens of beauty _ spread,” Sonny perked up, excited, accepting the pictures Rafael handed him. “What do you think?”

The pictures were good. They were taken at a closed studio. The background was dark grey, and the models were dressed in simple beige corsets as not to distract from the harsh lines of makeup on their faces. The contrast was interesting, but the pictures were lifeless. The models looked detached. 

“These are good,” Sonny said, but her couldn’t help the way his voice sounded strained. “Patrick is very talented.”

“But?,” Rafael raised an eyebrow at him, crossing his arms over his chest. Sonny considered him for a second and then realized this was a test for him too.

“But these are not what I envisioned,” he said as he stood up, standing beside Rafael so they could both look at the images. “Firstly, these were taken in a studio. It’s not groundbreaking. Drag queens work at bars and clubs, so that scene would have been more appropriate for this. Also, the models aren’t doing the art justice. Don’t get me wrong, they’re beautiful, it just makes it seem like a very distant reality when actually there are real people  _ living _ this type of art.”

Rafael had a look of approval on his face as he nodded. “Very good. Rita screamed about how much she hates them for three minutes straight, so Patrick has already rescheduled the shoot at a dive bar downtown. Elana is in charge of finding drag queens willing to participate,” he paused, turning to look at Sonny. “If you can promise me you won’t get in Patrick’s, Elana’s nor Rita’s way, you can go to the shoot.”

Sonny’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

“Do I look like I have time to joke around?,” he asked, annoyed. “Don’t make me regret it.”

“You won’t, I promise,” he giggled, looked around for a second and planted a quick peck on Rafael’s lips.

“That was incredibly inappropriate,” Rafael said, but the slow smile crossing his lips betrayed him.

“Ops,” Sonny joked. “Sorry, boss.”

Rafael shot him a look. “Take the pictures back to Rita. That’s all.”

It took everything in him not to skip like a child on his way out and down to the art department.

* * *

 

Christmas was Sonny’s favorite time of the year and, as he walked into Rafael’s apartment on the last friday before the 25th, he knew this year’s celebrations were going to be extra special. 

The house was decorated since the 1st of December. That was also, unexpectedly, the day Sonny met the infamous Lucia Barba. 

Rafael had spread many boxes of decorations in the living room, the big, gorgeous Christmas tree waiting to be bedazzled. Sonny had hot chocolate at the ready, and he was wearing his favorite red and white sweater. It had been a present from his grandma, many, many years ago, and it fit him a bit tighter now, but it was still cozy. 

His boyfriend made sure to tell him he appreciated the way the sleeves clung to his biceps, so Sonny figured the lack of a designer label wasn’t going to be a problem. 

The fire was on, Christmas music was playing. Sonny had glitter on his hands, face and hair. It sparkled under the lights, Rafael told him. 

“There’s one right on the tip of your nose,” Rafael snorted, reaching up to swipe away the lost glitter. “I have no idea how you got glitter all over your face.”

Sonny smirked. “Well, I think it’s because I’m the one in charge of decorating the highest branches of the tree. So it falls down on my face and hair.”

Rafael squinted, watching him as he considered if Sonny was making fun of his height or not. Sonny wasn’t, but Rafael was hyper aware of their height difference all the time. 

Before his boyfriend could decide if he was going to tell Sonny to leave for poking fun at him, the doorbell rang loudly. 

“I’ll get it,” Sonny said, pecked Rafael on the lips and sprinted out of the room. 

Maybe if Sonny had checked the peephole before opening the door, he could have avoided a lot of questions. But the hype of the Christmas spirit got him springing it open without hesitation, a huge grin on his face as he considered the woman standing in front of him.

“Hi!,” he greeted. “How can I help you?”

The woman looked him up and down with a frown. “Who are you?”

“I’m Sonny,” he said, making space for the woman to step in. It was terribly cold, and he was sure Rafael wouldn’t appreciate him leaving a guest waiting outside. “Would you like to come in?”

Even with a broad gesture inviting her in, the lady still didn’t move. “I’m here to see Rafael.”

“Of course,” Sonny nodded. Well, that was obvious. “Please, come on in, I’ll call him for you.” 

Not taking her eyes off of him, she stepped inside. 

“Who should I say is looking for him?,” he asked politely. Carmen had taught him nice ways to ask someone who they are without offending them, so he put it to use. 

“His mother,” the woman answered dryly and Sonny froze. 

He should have known. Now that she said it, he could see the similarities between her and Rafael. The color of her hair, her tan skin, her nose, her eyes. 

“Of course,” he said again, his voice small. “Please Mrs. Barba, let me take your coat.”

“Why are you here?,” she asked, her tone unfriendly. 

Sonny blinked, running his hand down the front of his sweater self-consciously. He should probably call for Rafael, but it would definitely sound like a cop-out. Should he introduce himself as Rafael’s boyfriend? Had he even told the woman they were dating? Rafael hardly ever talked about her. 

“Sonny?,” he heard Rafael calling him. Sonny let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Raf,” he called back, and by the way the woman’s eyebrows shot up, Sonny probably shouldn’t have used his nickname. “Your mother is here.”

He heard quick footsteps approaching and suddenly Rafael was cutting the corner down the hall, looking alarmed. “Mami,” he greeted as he approached her. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s the 1st of December, Rafael,” she replied as if that explained everything. “Who is this?”

Rafael sighed, hanging his head for a second. When he looked up again, he had a forced smile on. “Mami, let me take your coat. Then I can make proper introductions.”

Lucia let her son take her coat, her eyes narrowed through the whole process of removing it and hanging it in the coat closet by the frontdoor. 

Sonny didn’t say a word. He stood behind Rafael with his eyes wide, his heart beating fast inside his chest. He felt so nervous his hands started sweating. This was Lucia Barba, Rafael’s mother. The woman everyone avoided talking about, the one everyone seemed to fear. More than Rafael himself.

“Mami, if you would like to wait in the living room,” Rafael asked softly. “Sonny and I will serve you hot chocolate and cookies.”

She gave Rafael a long look, but eventually nodded and made her way into the apartment. 

When she was out of sight, Sonny was able to breathe again. “Fuck,” he muttered. “Raf, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have answered the door. Do you want me to leave? I can just go and -”

“Sonny,” Rafael interrupted, shaking his head. “I don’t want you to go anywhere. It’s about time you’ve met my mother. But let me warn you, this might not be pleasant for you.”

Sonny couldn’t help but smile. Because Rafael wanted him to meet his mother. Even though she was Lucia Barba. 

“Well, I’ve charmed one Barba,” he smirked. “Maybe I could try to charm another one.”

Rafael rolled his eyes. “Good luck with that.”

“Come on, Raf,” he grabbed his hand, tugging him towards the kitchen. “It’ll be fine.”

Quickly, Sonny and Rafael served a third cup of hot chocolate and arranged a variety of cookies on a plate before joining Lucia in the living room. She was looking around with a displeased look on her face and, when she spotted Rafael again, she stood from the couch.

“What is going on here?,” she asked, waving a hand towards the half-finished tree and the boxes scattered around the floor.

“We’re decorating the house for Christmas,” Rafael replied curtly, setting the cup and plate on the coffee table. 

“And who is that?,” Lucia unceremoniously pointed at Sonny.

Rafael turned to him and took his hand, smiling softly at him as he said. “This is my partner, Dominick Carisi, Jr. But he goes by Sonny.”

“Excuse me?,” her eyebrows shot up again. “Partner? Since when?”

“Almost four months,” Sonny said, preening under Rafael’s soft look. 

Lucia crossed her arms across her chest. “And where did you meet?”

“We work together,” Rafael said. “Sonny’s my second assistant.”

Sonny had to hold back a wince at Lucia’s horrified expression. Rafael’s grip on his hand tightened. “Rafael, I’ve dealt with brainless models, blood-sucking designers, but now you’re dating your assistant? What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking,  _ mother, _ ” he challenged. “That I love him. Sonny is a talented journalist. His job as an assistant is temporary. Soon he’ll have more awards than me.”

He almost melted at Rafael’s words, bringing their intertwined hands up to kiss the back of Rafael’s.

“Why am I only hearing about this now?”

Rafael turned to her with an unamused look. “We both know you don’t particularly enjoy hearing about my relationships.”

Lucia looked guilty for a half a second. “Well, but this has been going on for a while, so I presume it’s serious.” 

“You presume correctly,” he replied dryly. 

She sighed. “Rafael, I just want you to be happy.”

Rafael scoffed, shaking his head. “The Christmas spirit really got to you, uh?”

Lucia looked between Sonny and Rafael for a moment. Sonny thought she looked tired. She looked like someone who didn’t want to fight anymore, who didn’t have it in her to keep arguing. Her expression was tense, but her shoulders were sagging. She was done. And Sonny was ready for a lashing out, but instead, she took a step forward, towards Sonny, and offered him her hand to shake.

“Let’s start over,” she said. “Hello, Sonny. I’m Lucia, Rafael’s mother.”

Sonny took her hand in a firm shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Barba.”

After that, Rafael’s relationship with his mother changed. Eventually, he told Sonny Lucia had always been too afraid to cross the proverbial line his homophobic father had left between them. Lucia loved him, but she never quite managed to be supportive of him and his partners. And Rafael resented her for all his relationships she never approved of. 

But now, one year after Rafael’s grandmother passing away, Lucia had decided to change things between them. She took her time to get to know Sonny. They went to dinner together, just the two of them, and although Rafael almost had an aneurysm at the idea, it went well. 

Lucia tripped here and there, but she was actively trying to reconnect with her son. 

So yeah, that was one of the reasons why Christmas was Sonny’s favorite holiday. It touched people’s heart, it helped them realize what really mattered in life. And he was happy for Rafael and Lucia. 

They eventually did finish decorating the house, and it looked stunning. There were several presents under the tree by now, with Christmas only a few days away, and Sonny smiled at the ones that had Lucia’s name on the tag. 

“Raf?,” he called out as he walked in, hanging his scarf and coat in the coat closet. “I can’t believe how cold it is. I think it’s going to snow this week.”

Rafael showed up in the doorway to his office, a mischievous look on his face. “Hey, I have something to show you.”

Sonny tilted his head, curious. He walked down the hall with the book under his arm, dropping it on the coffee table before he joined Rafael in his office. Without saying anything else, Rafael handed Sonny a magazine with a flourish. 

It took him a couple seconds at max to recognize it. It was Runway’s January edition, the New Years themed one with Taylor Swift painted in gold from head to toe on the cover. It looked stunning. 

“Wow, this looks even better than I imagined,” he said with an awed look. “I can’t believe she went with the gold paint.”

“She even let us cut her hair,” Rafael said, a hint of excitement betraying his cool exterior. “But I believe she might still be trying to wash away that paint.”

Sonny chuckled. “I’m sure Rita is pleased. The concept is beautiful.”

“She’s over the moon. But enough about the cover. Turn to page 87,” he said with a smirk. 

Sonny’s heart immediately started thumping hard in his chest. Because he knew what that meant. The spread was out. His pitch. 

He quickly leafed through the pages to find number 87, and when he did, he gasped. Because his name was there. Right under the block letters that formed the title. Dominick Carisi, Jr. Creative collaborator. 

“Oh my god,” he breathed, a smile quickly breaking through his face. “Oh my god!”

“Surprise,” Rafael said, his voice soft. “You didn’t think I’d let them print it without giving you the credit you deserve, did you?”

“Well,” he chuckled wetly. “I didn’t expect to ever see my name on Runway, to be honest.”

Rafael took a step forward, taking Sonny’s face between his hands. “I’m proud of you,” he said, and pecked Sonny on the lips sweetly. “And from now on, every time you have an idea, run them by Rita first. I trust her, she trusts you. That way, my bias won’t get in the way again.”

“Are you serious?,” he asked, beaming. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I think I do,” Rafael nodded. “It would be stupid not to. You’re incredibly talented. Runway can’t risk missing out on your great pitches.”

Sonny closed the magazine, placed it on Rafael’s desk and pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you.”

“Merry Christmas, Sonny,” Rafael said, nuzzling his neck, breathing him in. “And congratulations on being Runway’s January edition star collaborator.”

He laughed, tightening his arms around Rafael. “I love you, Rafael,” he whispered into his temple. 

“I love you, too,” Rafael said, placing a kiss on Sonny’s neck and closing his eyes, his head resting peacefully on his shoulder. 

Sonny had never been happier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! But it's not the end yet. There's still an epilogue coming. Let me know what you think about how it's wrapping up, though. I had the most fun writing this, and it hurts a little bit to let go. But I do have other things lining up. If you'd like, follow me on twitter @pastelpinktv, I'm always talking about what I'm working on over there.
> 
> Don't forget to leave some comments and kudos, please! It makes my day, it really does.


	7. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rafael and Sonny, five years later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are. The very last bit of this story. I just want to say thank you to every one who read it, commented and left kudos on this. I really had a fun time writing this and talking to so many of you about it. 
> 
> This has been my longest fanfic in the fandom yet, and it was a pleasure. But there are others coming, so follow me on twitter @pastelpinktv if you'd like to know about them.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the end! <3

Rafael was sitting comfortably in the living room. The windows were open, a fresh breeze blowing into the apartment. It was the middle of summer, and the sun had not been kind to anybody. Most days it was just too hot to wear layers, which deeply annoyed him.

But, as a reward for Rafael having to underdress, he’d get an eyeful of Sonny walking around the house shirtless. 

“Hey, Raf,” he said, entering the living room in nothing but white shorts. “Where do you keep the tools? I need a hammer.”

If Rafael took longer than necessary to reply it was only because he was thinking about the question, and not because his eyes kept going up and down Sonny’s naked torso. But eventually he did look up to his partner’s face and said, “I don’t know if I have a hammer, Sonny.”

Sonny’s eyebrow shot up. “What? Why not?”

“Why would I ever need a hammer?,” he snorted.

“I knew I should have brought my tool kit when I moved in,” he sighed dramatically. “How did you put up the frames outside your office?”

“The builders put those up when I moved in. It was my mother’s idea,” Rafael rolled his eyes and stood up. “ _ My  _ idea was to keep all certificates in a box in the back of the closet.”

“Aren’t you humble?,” Sonny teased, pulling him by the hips when Rafael approached him. 

Rafael layed both his hands on Sonny’s pecs, letting himself enjoy the feel of his warm skin despite the heat. “Shut up. There might be a tool box under the kitchen sink. Why do you need a hammer, though?”

“Well, I was going to surprise you,” he said sheepishly. “My certificate came yesterday and I wanted to put it up next to yours.”

He gasped. “It came?! Finally. Show me!”

Sonny smiled sweetly and gave Rafael a quick kiss before he turned away. Rafael followed him into the office, where Sonny’s award certificate was set on the desk in a beautiful gold frame. 

“One out of three, uh?,” Rafael said, wrapping an arm around Sonny’s waist as they stood side by side, contemplating Sonny’s first Pulitzer award. “I’m really proud of you, Sonny.”

“Thanks,” he said in a small voice, a pinky blush creeping up his chest. 

“You shouldn’t put this next to mine,” Rafael said, and Sonny turned his head to look at him with a curious expression. “Put it on the opposite wall. So you can have your own space.”

Sonny beamed, but shook his head. “Nah, it would look all alone in there. Besides, I like the idea of it being next to yours.” 

“Okay, but when you get more, we’re getting your university degree from Staten Island and putting everything on the opposite wall.” 

“Deal,” Sonny nodded and pecked him. 

“Let me see if I can find that hammer,” Rafael grinned and pulled away from him. But instead of going to search underneath the sink cabinet, he went into the bedroom to retrieve something else. 

Sonny had moved in almost three years ago, on their second anniversary. It was shortly after he left Runway to go work at the New York Times, like he had dreamed of. Rafael didn’t have to pull any strings for Sonny to get the job, but he did make sure to sign his name nicely on the recommendation letter he sent, just to see if it held any weight. 

If it did or not, Rafael never found out. The editor never contacted him directly, and two weeks later, Sonny was saying tearful goodbyes to the Runway team. Rafael didn’t hesitate in asking him to move in after that. 

Rafael had been hesitant to ask when they still worked together. The fact that they had their separate homes helped keep their professionalism intact. Sonny only stayed over during the weekend, so they could always arrive separately at the office. For a while, it was torture, but they wanted to make it work. 

And it did. Brilliantly. And Rafael had never been happier, he had never been this in love with anyone. 

Coming home to Sonny was one of his favorite things, losing only to the opportunity to dress him in his favorite brands’ collections. The domesticity warmed his heart, and he never thought he’d find comfort in letting his guard down, in relenting control over to someone else. But Sonny made him feel safe, so it came naturally. 

As Rafael entered the pin combination to the safe in his closet, his fingers trembled slightly. The door opened with a clang, and he swallowed hard. He was hardly ever nervous, but this was a big step. He had never done this before. And it felt like a big deal, like he was officially signing his heart off to Sonny.

But honestly, he was okay with that. Now if only his hands would stop shaking even as he reached inside the safe to take the velvet box. 

He sighed deeply, closing the safe again. He could hear Sonny whistling a tune, and he smiled despite himself. Rafael loved this man, more than he could ever put into words.

Rafael never thought that the unpolished, eager, hardass journalist that showed up at his office one morning would change his life the way Sonny did. He never imagined that man would teach him what it really was like to love someone so purely and intensely. He never knew he’d find comfort, acceptance, and companionship in those arms. 

But his heart knew, even then. Which was why, as soon as Sonny was finished with his speech about being a hard worker, his heart started fluttering like crazy in his chest, his stomach turning into knots at the sight of Sonny standing proud in front of him. 

He was impressed by Sonny then, he was impressed by Sonny now. He escalated quickly in the New York Times. From junior reporter, to senior reporter, to editor of the culture section, to managing editor. It came as no surprise to Rafael, he always did see Sonny’s potential, but it did make him puff up his chest proudly to see him do so well. 

Now, Sonny’s article on cultural appropriation had gotten him his first Pulitzer nomination and win. Rafael was beside himself with pride. He felt like Sonny’s win was also his win, and he almost proposed the moment his partner stepped down from the stage after his acceptance speech. 

It was in the tip of his tongue as Sonny hugged him, his eyes shining with tears. It almost jumped out when Sonny grabbed his face and kissed him. He had to bite it back when they rode back home, Sonny’s head on his shoulder, their fingers intertwined as Sonny said, his voice low and filled with emotion, “I’m so happy I found you.”

That was Sonny’s night. Rafael wanted him to claim that night as his forever. 

But tonight, they could it claim as their own. 

“Raf?,” Sonny called out. “Did you find it?”

Rafael clutched the box in a fist as he made his way out of the closet, out of the room, into the office, and back into Sonny’s arms. “Sorry, I got distracted.”

Sonny smiled, looking at him with an adoring expression. Rafael would never get tired of how open he was about his feelings. “Yeah? By what?”

“By how much I love you,” he said, reaching up with his free hand to brush Sonny’s soft hair away from his face. “By how proud I am of you. By how happy I am with you. By how thankful I am for the day you walked into my office.”

“Really?,” he beamed. “Even though I looked like I commited a crime against fashion?”

“Yes, even still,” Rafael chuckled, bringing his hand down to caress Sonny’s cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Raf,” Sonny leaned against his touch softly, and Rafael’s heart almost exploded in his chest at the sight. 

“What would you say to us expending the rest of our lives together?,” he breathed, his voice just above a whisper, just for them to hear. 

Sonny’s smile brightened. “I think that sounds really great.” 

Rafael opened his hand between them, showing Sonny the velvet box. His eyes widened as he took it in. “What would say,” Rafael started, opening the box to reveal a beautiful silver ring. “If I asked you: Sonny, will you marry me?”

Sonny choked on an overwhelmed laugh, looking between the ring and Rafael, tears welling up in his eyes as he did so. “Rafael,” he said, his voice full of emotion, nodding slowly. “I’d say yes. Of course, yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

He threw both his arms over Rafael’s shoulders, pulling him close with a bright smile. “Let me put the ring on you,” Rafael chuckled, but he didn’t let go of Sonny’s embrace. 

“Raf, you’ve made me the happiest man alive,” he whispered, hugging him tighter before letting go. 

Rafael couldn’t help but kiss him. Not when he looked so open, so emotional, so beautifully Sonny in all his eager honesty. 

“I’m honored,” he replied candidly when they parted. Sonny lifted his hand as Rafael took the ring out of the box. He watched Sonny’s expression when he slid the silver band on his finger, and the way his dimples deepened as his smile grew was breathtakingly gorgeous. “I love you, Sonny. And thank you for loving me back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're done! Can you believe? God, I miss this verse already.
> 
> Once again: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Leave a nice last comment so we can feel this ending together :D

**Author's Note:**

> I'm actually so excited to be writing this. I'm a journalist myself, so all the comments and insights about that come from first-hand experience. 
> 
> Let me know what you think through kudos and comments! The more this gets, the sooner I'll upload the next chapter!


End file.
